Montana Projects: Hola Utopía!

Hola Utopia celebrated a ground-breaking first edition in its home of Hannover, Germany this year, despite a climate of difficulties for cultural events. Muralists from Hannover as well as Berlin and Münster came together to produce five large-scale artworks with the direct support of Montana Colors. 

Between 24th and 30th August, the city was furnished by a set of artworks that transformed the centre into a space of debate and promotion of progressive values that the name of the festival suggests: from children’s rights to environmental issues, taking into account contemporary topics like Black Lives Matter. 

The challenge of reducing pollution in a modern city was addressed with a pedestrian or bike-friendly route around the festival spots. 

The festival aimed to go further than the premise of other street art festivals. The participation of the public was fundamental in the development of the final designs produced by the artists, facilitated by an open call for dialogue and designs in the build up to the event. 

Collaboration between artists was a common theme in several of the murals. Etaja and Bener1 produced a surreal union between wild animals, whilst Stefan Hoch, Cheez and Vergerdte Welt were behind the impression of a child freeing their imagination with a pair of bolt cutters. 

Mother Nature received more support in the shape of a huge flower by Mocx and a lively zoological collage by Kalagrafik. Rookie the weird was behind the centrepiece of the festival, contributing a wall with “Utopia” emblazoned above a pensive monkey character. 

Montana Colors were delighted to give our full support through our German subsidiary, MTN GmbH, which is also based in Hannover. The organizers of “Hola Utopia!”, Artie Ilsemann and Jascha Mueller, told MTN News that they are already looking forward to a second successful edition, whose dates have just been confirmed: 23rd through 29th August, 2021, which could coincide with the first edition of the festival in Barcelona.

Photos by Julian Rausche: https://rausche.media/