3 Giant Neon Birds

Eco Graffiti: Ona Barcelona
Storytelling: Oana Maroti

It started raining at once in the Clot area when I was passing by these 3 giant neon sparrows painted by Ona Barcelona, but they are so beautiful that I stopped for a photo shoot.

Ona´s art is a permanent presence in Barcelona and its surroundings, transforming metal doors into ecological or animal paintings, that define the neighborhood´s identity. The street where this persiana can be admired is one of my favorite in this town, due to its tall trees and birds singing.

The 3 Giant Neon Birds are a statement not only for habitat protection but also for housing. All over the world the tree sparrow adapted and is happily chirping. They are very good at nest-building and even impress each other showing off nest-building materials.

The Tree Sparrow, Passer Montanus is famous, a sort of diva in international arts, in music or comics. Edith Piaf took her stage name after the sound this little bird is making: Piaf! The same sparrow inspired the sound in comics for birds, the Cirp! Cirp! and Piu! Piu!

Personally, I hear Cip! Instead of Piaf or Cirp. It might be by default as I have read lots of botanical poetry in my native language and the birds do Cip! Cirip! in Romanian poetry selections and illustrations. Although my grandmother insisted on Piu! Piu! in the rural area.

At one point, while sharing the flat with a lovely lady, a teacher from Spain, we made an intercultural exchange by cooking and eating together and listening to online music. This is how I came to know about the abundance of Pajaros, Ocells - birds in the Spanish culture. Marta was a real cultural mediator without wanting. I rely on having known her and just a hand of people who are representative, nice people. Unfortunately, as an immigrant woman, my road crossed with some characters that I can only describe as disgusting. Thank you Marta for showing me another version of this otherwise adverse reality.

It turns out that a bunch of us, animal lovers, and defenders of habitat have this natural communication, strong connection inside the culture. Why should not we be friends and protect the natural habitats? From where all the adversity when I say pasare, you say pajaro, from where the discordance when even if you say cell I understand that is something going to the sky (cer): o cell.

If we can understand the nature around us or at least we have an interest in trying that´s our ancestors' teaching, probably even the same ancestors.

Anyways, the tree sparrows (vrabiile) are one of Transilvanian poetry´s muse. These birds even influenced the house-building techniques and I was glad to see that Ona painted them giant and free.