More than 30 artists captured Gritón’s radiant style at a road intersection

At 11 in the morning, the urban dynamics changed completely at the intersection between Insurgentes Avenue and Yucatán. The walls of a parking lot, normally gray and unnoticed, became living canvases, full of color, expression and memory. More than 30 artists gathered there to pay tribute to the painter and activist Antonio Ortiz Loud, died last December 5 at the age of 71.

The corner, known for its artistic interventions over the years, was the perfect place for this collective tribute. The activity, organized by artists Gustavo Monroy, Demián Flores and Gabriel Macotela, combined painting, performance and music.

A woman with a guitar sang under the scorching sun, while another artist performed a performance around a piece inspired by Antenna to change the world, one of the most distinctive creations of the Loud. The work, conceived to transform reality through the microvibrations of color, became a symbol of his legacy.

The parking lot walls were divided into sections that served as individual canvases. With tools such as vinyl paint, fabrics, brushes and photograms, among others, each artist captured their own vision of the Loud. Among the images, portraits of the artist with a microphone, his unmistakable Hawaiian shirts, flowers sprouting from his hands and phrases evocative of his philosophy stood out: Anarchist action to change the world.

Gustavo Monroy, one of the organizers, highlighted the union character of the commemorative event. His contribution consisted of a plotter with a photograph of his colleague accompanied by the phrase: “Thank you, Loud”. In addition, he distributed 50 copies of the image among attendees. For Monroy, this mural represents an act of gratitude towards someone who, beyond his art, was a generator of community and a tireless activist.

Each artist contributed their language and discourse. This is not just an individual tribute, it is a union recognitionMonroy stated. He also stressed the importance of distinguishing between contemporary expressions and the tradition of Mexican muralism. For him, new forms of urban art have a different, but equally relevant, aesthetic and social purpose.

Demián Flores spoke about the deeply human and committed character of Loud. More than an artist, he described him as a humanist, whose work reflected the intimate connection between his thoughts and his environment.

Art cannot be understood if it is not like a mirror of what one is,” Flores commented. This mural, he added, is an extension of the tribute that was held last night at the Museum of Mexico City, but with focus on public space.

The choice of location was not accidental. For years, the walls of this road junction have witnessed artistic and social messages. In them, Loud He actively participated with other artists such as Gabriel Macotela and Jesús Miranda. Flores recalled how these spaces were used to express ideas and denounce injustices, from the war in Ukraine to reflections on violence in Mexico.

Separately, Macotela highlighted the community work of Loud, whom he described as a loved and committed man. In his section of the mural, he painted one of the honoree’s characteristic shirts, reinterpreted in an abstract way, in honor of his radiant and colorful style.

Artistic diversity was evident at every angle of the parking lot. Some opted for figurative portraits, and others for abstract or conceptual forms.

The organizers recognized that the murals, like many of the projects in which he participated Loud, They have an ephemeral nature. However, They are acts of affection and love. Even if they are deleted in a few hours or days, the message and memory remainconcluded Demián Flores.

In interview with The Day, Carlos Martínez, originally from Amecameca and author of a portrait made with photograms, related that his first meeting with the artist and physicist occurred at the Faro de Oriente, when, together with the teacher Gabriel Macotela, Gritonio –as those closest to him called him– he offered the first workshops in that space.

He was always willing to support and collaborate. For him, if there were no resources, there was no problem, the important thing was to activate, do, create. That was always part of his essencehe indicated.

The artist Paola Galleta presented a piece inspired by Antenna to change the world, made with a dry tree branch as a base, to symbolize death, as well as bright colors that represented life.

“Loud He was a tireless defender of human and cultural rights. “His spirit and his voice will be eternal,” he concluded.