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MASSIVart Mexico was given the opportunity by NBA and Hennessy to launch their global partnership with a vibrant art experience: NBA Beyond The Lines – on October 1, 2 and 3, 2021 in Mexico. The three-day contemporary art exhibition showcased local as well as world-renowned artists, demonstrating the vibrant spirit of basketball – beyond the sport.
For this tailor-made event and as a surprise element, MASSIVart Mexico proposed to create a colourful basketball court in collaboration with Mexican urban artist Asero Rodriguez.
During the day, people were able to enjoy the court and capture the moment with photos. At night, the court was transformed into a breathtaking dance floor thanks to the integration of glow-in-the-dark elements.
The artist shares more about his inspirations and the custom mural he created for NBA and Hennessy.
I am based in cubist and pop art, leading to the abstract scenes in which I mix various themes in communion with mother nature, the psychological, stories, legends, or current issues; opening parenthesis to start a dialogue on certain news or events of the moment. I like to work through the deconstruction of shapes and figures together with colour, sometimes experimenting at the moment of applying tones, creating a visual harmony through contrasts, saturation, and mixtures.
My main inspiration is to look for the attractive in the day to day, giving value to the geometric figures applying them to everyday life or on the theme that I work on. I think that for the production of my work the important thing is the investigation of what I have to talk about or reflect, which is what makes the inspiration and the creation of composition in my mind, proposing lines that adapt to the support to intervene.
Yes, I like sports in general. Although it’s not my favourite, for me it represents great moments in my mind, since it takes me back to my childhood. I remember my older brother collecting a series of Upper Deck cards, which I would sneakily take from him because he would hide them in a box between his sneakers and shoes. As a kid (4-5 years old) I would make groups of five players with the cards, assign them team and group names and then make rounds of five shots per team and whoever made the most baskets would advance to the next round. So on and so forth, until we got to a champion. I remember my favourite was Muggsy Bogues in the white Charlotte jersey.
My taste in this sport is not the victory itself, I try to enjoy every play…taking as favourites the defensive plays, the blocks, the rubs between players, the face-offs, the screens, and the decisive shots. And those sensations are what I try to show in this mural.
At the moment the challenge I have is the large format intervention or to start using other materials through experimentation. I believe that there are no limits, but experiences that help one to mutate in the conception of my art, change processes and encourage change to avoid stagnation.
I took as inspiration what is known as BuzzerBeater, giving that name to the mural. It’s the adrenaline rush after the player’s decision as the buzzer sounds on the last shot of the game.
It is the deep breath to suppress fear and be the one who gives joy to the fans. It is about reflecting on the next mural; the last play. An instant before the glory that will unleash the heartbeat of the whole arena.
It shows two players stalking each other to achieve their victory. One tries to make the block and the other seeks to take the glory. At that moment, the impact of emotions will remain in the minds of those who are about to live it.
