The beloved Nuart Festival is returning to the streets of Aberdeen on the first weekend of June. This year’s theme, “Living Heritage,” explores the idea of street art as the intangible cultural heritage of our cities.
Martyn Reed, the “uncurator” of Nuart Festival, describes the festival’s focus:
Living heritage is the dynamic side of cultural heritage: heritage which is continuously transformed, interpreted, shaped and transmitted from generation to generation. It also represents the participatory, co-creative dimension of cultural heritage, and is characterized by its transient, non-stationary and hard-to-grasp qualities. Living heritage incorporates the parts of our shared past that live in our present – everyday rituals and practices, cultural expressions, shared memories, celebrations, festivals, stories, songs, and craft skills that help to define who we are. These don’t have to be as old as time – ICH is a form of heritage that lives in the present, where we often incorporate elements of older traditions and cultural expressions in our contemporary practices.
Martyn Reed
Nuart Aberdeen 2024: street art as the intangible cultural heritage of our cities.
UNESCO characterizes intangible cultural heritage as the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills, and the instruments, objects, artifacts, and cultural spaces associated with them, which are recognized by communities, groups, and sometimes individuals as part of their cultural heritage. This heritage is passed down through generations, continually recreated by communities in response to their environment, interactions with nature, and history, providing them with a sense of identity and continuity, thereby fostering respect for cultural diversity and human creativity.
This year’s Nuart Aberdeen Festival suggests that street art, given its ephemeral nature and its role in urban culture, qualifies as a form of intangible cultural heritage.
Street art is inherently temporary. Many pieces that I have seen come to life in Aberdeen’s streets are no longer there: Herakut’s iconic wall on the market, along with Hyuro‘s mural and Ben Eine’s typographic creation, have vanished due to renovation in that city area. Helen Bur’s majestic diptych has also disappeared, but fortunately, she returned to grace Aberdeen with another masterpiece. Milu Correch’s tribute to local witches has been obscured by black paint, and all the poster installations I assisted artists in mounting on granite walls have disappeared.
The impermanence of street art profoundly affects how it is perceived and valued; to me, it represents a fleeting moment of beauty, akin to a rainbow captured on camera by Martin Whatson or a tiny paper figure by Miss Printed that unexpectedly delights in the streets.
Although the physical works of Miss Printed’s collages are gone, the connections made endure. I still keep in touch with a friend I met at Miss Printed’s collage workshop, and we continue to treasure our collaborative street escapade. Just as I cherish all my memories of Aberdeen, I also preserve the memories of street art I’ve documented over the years on my blog.
Here on the blog, these artworks remain vibrant; readers can explore the work-in-progress stages, the various layers leading to the final pieces, and sometimes even delve “beyond the wall” through exclusive interviews with the protagonists of Nuart.
- Read also: Nuart Aberdeen Festival in the blog archive
I see the documentation work I do on my blog serving as a vital bridge, connecting the fleeting moments of street art with the enduring fabric of cultural heritage. This archival effort captures the ever-evolving expressions of street art, preserving its dynamic and transient nature for future generations. Like intangible cultural heritage, street art is continually recreated to reflect new societal concerns and is a living commentary that evolves with community perspectives and reactions.
Nuart Aberdeen 2024 will highlight street art as an exemplary manifestation of living heritage. This event showcases how ephemeral urban art forms embody and enrich the cultural and historical tapestry of our communities. It highlights the significant role street art plays in urban culture, not only as a medium for artistic expression but as a platform for social commentary and community engagement.
By celebrating street art as the city’s living heritage, the festival underlines its importance in shaping and redefining neighborhood characters and identities, reflecting and influencing broader cultural and social contexts. Moreover, the festival’s emphasis on street art as a diverse and vibrant cultural expression aligns with UNESCO’s goals to protect and promote the rich tapestry of urban culture, ensuring it remains a vital, inclusive part of our communal heritage.
Therefore, the Nuart Aberdeen festival is more than just an artistic gathering; it is a cultural force that embodies the essence of living heritage—constantly evolving, deeply reflective of its community, and crucial to the cultural diversity and identity of urban spaces. Through this celebration, street art continues to assert its significant place in the cultural landscape, proving that even the most ephemeral art forms can have a lasting impact on our collective cultural memory.
Nuart Aberdeen 2024: Artist Announcement
- Addam Yekutieli aka Know Hope (IL/ PS)
- Bahia Shehab (LB/EG)
- Case Maclaim (DE)
- CBloxx (UK)
- Hera (DE/PK)
- KMG (SC – UK)
- Mahn Kloix (FR)
- Millo (IT)
- Molly Hankinson (UK)
- Niels Shoe Meulman (NL)
- Wasted Rita (PT)
