Spoken Bicicleta” is Art Uniti’s community based public artwork sculpture celebrating Near Northside’s Latino culture at the 10th Annual Tour De Northside Festival
A multidisciplinary sculpture project integrating temporary public art, music and dance 2023.
Spoken Bicicleta” is Art Uniti’s community based public artwork sculpture celebrating Near Northside’s Latino culture at the 10th Annual Tour De Northside Festival. Moschioni leads the artistic team with craftsman Alexander in creating a monumental-scale, low rider bicycle sculpture featuring percussive instruments, colossal butterflies and community artworks woven in the wheel spokes as “spoke cards”. Summer workshops at HTX Art in the Heart created art panels themed as “What I luv about Northside”. The bicycle sculpture was inspired by Houston’s Latino bicycle groups riding along Houston Avenue with boom box trailers playing Tejano music. “Spoken Bicicleta” unveils with choreographer Adam Castaneda’s dance team completing the assemblage by adding the monarch butterflies, and musical instruments. “Spoken Bicicleta” metamorphoses into an interactive stage prop with award-winning, Blues musician Jonn Del Toro Richardson performing. His trio integrates “Spoken Bicicleta’s” percussive sounds into an hour of Blues music. The pilot dance company follows with a finale dance performance piece titled “Migration thru Northside” led by choreographer Adam Castaneda. Community and art panels will be on display at the festival.
The monarch butterflies featured in the public art, music and dance are symbolic in Latino culture as the souls of ancestors who return to the living for one day during November festivities of “Dia de Los Muertos” to reuniting with family. The bicycle and butterflies reference migration of Latino culture to the United States while paying homage to Houston’s award winning Northside “Butterfly Pocket Park”.
“Spoken Bicicleta” was awarded HAA Individual Artist Grant in 2023 and is funded in part by the City of Houston thru Houston Art Alliance. The Tour De Northside Festival is sponsored by the Greater Northside Management District in partnership with the University of Houston Downtown. Art Uniti Team: Tami Moschioni, Robert Alexander, Ruby Pinedo (butterflies) and Jatziri Barron Preciado (bike plate) and community artists participating at Roni Cabrera’s HTX Art in the Heart workshops. Team photography by Carlos Ocando and photoshop by Jeffery Hillbert.
Thanks to the Greater Northside Management District and University of Houston downtown for including “Spoken Bicicleta” in the 10th annual Tour De Northside Festival.
“Tour De Northside 10th anniversary Festival” 2023
A multidisciplinary project integrating temporary public art sculpture, music and dance 2023.
WHEN: Saturday, October 7th 2023 - 11am to 6pm
LOCATION: 315 North Main Street, Houston Tx 77002 (UHD)
SCHEDULE:
12:45pm Dance Performance to unveil and complete “Spoken Bicicleta” with background music by Jonn Del Toro Richardson
1:00 – 2:00pm Jonn Del Toro Richardson Interactive Blues Trio Performance including humming of spoke card sounds.
2:00 – 2:20pm Finale Dance performance by choreographer Adam Castaneda music by Jonn Del Toro Richardson
SCULPTURE CONCEPT SKETCH "SPOKEN BICICLETA"
IN THE MAKING...
THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATED IN A FREE ART WORKSHOP TO CREATE ART PANELS TO BE DISPLAYED DURING THE TOUR DE NORTHSIDE BIKE TOUR AND ART FESTIVAL.
