Hola Utopia! 2023 – Wabi Sabi 

• Urban art festival, exhibition, screening and party
• Hannover, Germany
• 08.23 – 03.09.23

Suiko 1, Anna Taratiel, Mujer Gitana, Bier En Brood and Kartel are the artists confirmed to take part in the Hola Utopia! 2023 festival, which will take place on 28th August – 3rd September in Hannover, Germany. As well as adding several new urban art murals to the city, the fourth edition of the festival will once again include an indoor exhibition, a documentary projection and a party to socialise and showcase the audio expertise of the Hola Utopia! artists.

The historical connection between Hiroshima and Hannover meant that it was high time to reach out an invitation to an artist from the city in the south of Japan, and Suiko 1 fits the bill perfectly. His intricate large-scale pieces are packed with vibrant color and crisp detail that have come to define the Hola Utopia! aesthetic.

Anna Taratiel aka Ovni works with geometric shapes to create site specific, large scale murals, often designed and produced in collaboration with local communities. Her inclusion underlines the commitment to addressing the gender imbalance in urban art events and reinforces ties with Catalunya, home of the main sponsor Montana Colors.

Mujer Gitana began painting graffiti in 2004 and travelled the globe sharing her infectious approach to colours and letter forms before evolving her practice to focus on figurative works which deal with healing through creativity and other existential matters.

Kartel and Bier and Brood are two European artists who return to Hola Utopia! Following major contributions in 2021 and 2022 respectively. We are excited to see how Kartel combines digital and folk art in a new large-scale piece, and this year Bier and Brood is preparing a new installation which will form the main attraction of the urban art show “The Artists of Hola Utopia!”.

The extended exhibition has been confirmed at Weiße Halle at the converted industrial complex of Hainhölzer Höfe, featuring artwork from Hola Utopia! artists who have featured in the festival since its inception in 2020 alongside works by Eric Pina and Jwan Khalaf. The inauguration will take place on Thursday 31st August. The exhibition will be on display until 10th of September.

The riverside cultural center Glocksee once again houses the social aspect of Hola Utopia!. On Wednesday 30th August, there will be a free screening of the documentary “Las paredes hablan” (The Walls Talk) by the late Spanish director Carlos Saura followed by a party featuring DJ sets by Hola Utopia! selectors.

Hola Utopia! is an urban festival organized, produced and promoted by Arte Ilsemann and Jascha Mueller with their newly formed company iZ-1.

Hola Utopia is made possible with the support of Fond Soziokultur Soziokultur Niedersachsen, Montana Colors, Heimatwerk, Kulturbüro Hannover, Latido Films, Puro Real Estate, Hainhoelzer Hoefe, mateco GmbH and einzA.

Please address any press inquiries to mark@hola-utopia.com.