UPF Art Track, the itinerary of the Ciutadella campus’s artistic and cultural heritage, is expanding its portfolio with a unique, different work. From today and for two weeks, the artist Frank Trepax will be painting a “punktocrator” -as he himself defines it-, using the technique of graffiti, on the façade of the Depòsit de les Aigües building, which overlooks the gardened area.

As the author explains, “it will be a work that uses street aesthetics to take it to a solemn space, as is a university”. He assures that will not leave anyone indifferent and that “it will be modern with colours in synch with the surroundings and will be stylish”. In addition, he is approaching the creative process openly, so that the university community can get close to it and interact with the artist.

The creative proposal is part of the UPF Culture programme, a project devised from, by and for the university community; but also reaching out to the world

The creative proposal is part of the UPF Culture programme, a project devised from, by and for the university community; but also reaching out to the world. Thus, the University seeks to contribute to social change through culture with the understanding that its natural activity as a centre of knowledge gives rise to numerous initiatives that go beyond the academic environment and offer mechanisms to improve the environment.

In addition, the artistic intervention will be accompanied by the simultaneous creation of a documentary on the artist’s creative process. This audiovisual piece by Alba Cros, film director and UPF alumni, will get close to Frank Trepax and the conception of the “punktocrator” from an observational stance, emulating the spectator’s gaze. The aim is to portray the growth of graffiti without knowing the final result but playing with imagining how it might end up being.

A pioneer of graffiti and urban art

Frank Trepax, the pseudonym of Francesc Punsola, is one of Spain’s pioneering artists from the world of graffiti, especially in Barcelona. His beginnings date back to the mid-1980s when, along with the Trepax collective, he began to embody his ephemeral works on the walls of the Catalan capital.

Although at first he had to paint out of view of the police, who pursued graffiti artists for acts of vandalism, the gradual integration of the style in the urban imaginary helped the authorities realize the value of such creations. Thus, he participated in the creation of the first mural authorized by Barcelona City Council in 1988, on a wall in carrer Jaén in Gràcia, dubbed Safari Spray, which is currently no longer preserved.

His beginnings date back to the mid-1980s when, along with the Trepax collective, he began to embody his ephemeral works on the walls of the Catalan capital.

Frank Trepax is also characterized by being an all-round artist. In addition to graffiti style works, he has also dedicated himself with much success in illustration for all kinds of formats: advertising campaigns, book and disc covers, pictograms for public spaces... Lately, he has focused on the relationship between art and nature, creating ephemeral, large-scale forms on beaches of the Baix Maresme, and sculpting engravings in stones from different woods in Catalonia.

Malgrat al principi havia de pintar d’amagat de la policia, que perseguia els grafitters per considerar-los vàndals, la progressiva integració de l’estil en l’imaginari urbà va facilitar que les administracions prenguessin consciència del valor de les seves creacions. Així, va participar en la creació del primer mural autoritzat per l’Ajuntament de Barcelona, l’any 1988, en una paret del carrer Jaén de Gràcia, anomenat Safari Spray, i que actualment ja no es conserva.

Els seus inicis es remunten a mitjans de la dècada dels 80 quan, juntament amb el col·lectiu Trepax, va començar a plasmar les seves obres efímeres a les parets de la capital catalana

Frank Trepax també es caracteritza per ser un artista total. A banda de les obres en format graffitti, també s’ha dedicat amb molt èxit a la il·lustració per a tot tipus de formats: campanyes publicitàries, portades de llibres i de discs, pictogrames per a espais públics... Darrerament, s’ha centrat en la relació entre art i natura, creant formes efímeres de gran format en platges del Baix Maresme, i esculpint gravats en pedres de diferents boscos de Catalunya.