Edu Crespo (he, his)

Co-director Difusor | Director Parees
Asturias

A multidisciplinary creator, recognized for his role as director of Parees, the contextual muralism festival in Oviedo, has made a significant impact in the contemporary artistic and cultural sphere. His vision encompasses the creation of visual works and the management of artistic interventions in public spaces. His commitment extends through various artistic and cultural projects, applying his expertise in public space management to foster the connection between art and the community.

Xavier Ballaz (he, his)

Co-director Difusor | Manager BMURALS
Barcelona

As a manager and curator, he advocates for artistic creation with the capacity to transform the environment. Co-founder of Difusor, a pioneering entity in Barcelona in the management of projects for intervention in public space, he has been a key voice in the debate and shift of municipal policies regarding urban art. His projects have brought internationally renowned creators to the city and have advanced reflection on this discipline within artistic, academic, and institutional circles.

Laura Lara (she, her)

Artistic Mediation, muralist | RaposuRoxu
Asturias

A recognized multidisciplinary artist committed to social and community art. Her work focuses on the connection between creative processes and people, providing tools to democratize art and empower the community through visual language. With experience in artistic mediation and specialization in community muralism, her contribution spans the creation of visual works and the management of interventions in public spaces, promoting the connection between art and society. @raposuroxu

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Javier Abarca (he, his)

Artist, researcher, and educator | Urbanario
Madrid

A prominent artist, researcher, and educator specializing in graffiti and urban art. He taught a course on graffiti and urban art at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Complutense University of Madrid in Aranjuez. Since 2008, he has been publishing the website Urbanario and is the founder and director of the editorial fair Unlock and the Tag Conference congress. Starting in 2020, he has moved his teaching to the online realm at the Urbanario School.

Abarca is an influential specialist in the international scene and is a regular presence at European congresses and festivals.

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Lara Seixo Rodrigues (she, her)

Founder and Director of Mistaker Maker | Platform for Artistic Intervention

Lara is a passionate creator born in Covilhã in 1979. She studied Architecture in Lisbon and Barcelona, developing a lasting interest in Urban Art. In 2011, she founded WOOL | Covilhã Urban Art, the first urban art festival in Portugal, and has since led numerous cultural and artistic projects. Lara has organized the participation of Portuguese artists in international events and has curated various exhibitions. Additionally, she is an active member of the Ibero-American Network of Urban Art and the Reflection Group on the Future of Portugal. @laraseixorodrigues

Mistakermaker

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Netanel Portier (she / elle)

Senior Director of Learning and Practice

Netanel Portier started with Mural Arts Philadelphia in 2009 and joined the Executive Team in 2023. Portier launched the Mural Arts Institute in 2017, sharing Mural Arts’ learnings with other change-making leaders across the globe. For 20 years, Netanel has enjoyed bringing together diverse artists and communities for transformative public projects and socially engaged murals as a program director, project manager, artist, teacher, curator, and médiatrice culturelle. She provides consulting services and leads shared learning experiences with individual artists, administrators, institutions, and cultural and civic organizations with a focus on participatory public art projects and programs. Netanel is devoted to peer learning, cultural exchange, promoting social engagement and meaningful action, and community-centered cultural practices.

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Rafael Schacter (he/his)

Anthropologist and curator

Dr Rafael Schacter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at University College London and head of the Material, Visual, and Digital Culture subsection. Schacter works on public art and global art, curating and writing widely in both these areas. His fourth book, Monumental Graffiti, is being published with MIT Press in October 2024. Schacter has also published sole-authored books with Lund Humphries (2018), Routledge (2014), and Yale University Press (2013) and has curated exhibitions at Tate Modern, Somerset House, The Brunei Gallery, amongst other national and international projects in the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, the Philippines, and beyond.

Bjørn Van Poucke (he/his)

Curator

For almost 20 years, Bjørn Van Poucke has been at the forefront of street art’s push for wider acceptance from both the public and the art world. In 2011, he put together the first Belgian street art festival and has since been involved in the creation of over 250 murals in Belgium alone. In 2016, he was approached by the city of Ostend to develop what would become the country’s leading street art event, The Crystal Ship. The festival is now in its sixth year, with Van Poucke still at the helm. After authoring two best-selling books on the subject, Street Art Today (2016) and Street Art Today 2 (2019), the curator co-founded the creative hub All About Things, coupling electrifying artists with ditto brands and cities. It also operates Ruby Gallery, a Brussels joint for both emerging and established artists who like to do things a bit differently. Furthermore, Van Poucke is a frequent speaker at art festivals and fairs – from Paris to Miami – as well as colleges.