New mural in progress for Indie Grits

Piece entitled Tokamak leaves a “digital watermark” on Taylor Street

One Columbia for Arts and History, Indie Grits and Tapp’s Arts Center announce a new mural to be painted on Taylor Street at the corner of Main.

Josef Kristofoletti’s mural Tokamak, named after a special type of nuclear fusion reactor, is meant to resemble and impress a digital waterline left on the side of a building. In this piece, the artist mixes the artificial and the organic, appropriating rainbow-like bands from chromatography–a process whereby the chemical components of a mixture are revealed through color–in such a way that they recall ribbons of gasoline floating on water.

The mural space is a joint project of Indie Grits, Tapp’s Arts Center and One Columbia for Arts and History. Since April 2015, a mural artist has been selected in conjunction with the Indie Grits Festival and paints a mural within the theme of Indie Grits. This is the third mural that’s been painted in this same location. The wall space was generously donated by Capitol Places who owns the building.

Artist Josef Kristofoletti paints the new mural.

As the artist states, “In an era of drastic climate change, it is imperative that we draw attention to the source of our planet’s environmental ills while simultaneously acknowledging the potential for a cure. In the midst of the devastating, contrary beauty of mass pollution and environmental degradation, the artist identifies a reason for hope, invoking a symbol of human progress and unflagging optimism: the tokamak fusion reactor, referenced in the title for this mural, which offers a solution to our longstanding dependence on fossil fuels.”

Austin, TX based artist Josef Kristofoletti was born in Nagyvarad, Transylvania. His work is primarily made up of mural paintings that address ideas about nature, technology, space and architecture. He was an artist in residence at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. As a founding member of the artist collective Transitantenna, he traveled throughout North America as part of a mobile living experiment that engaged local communities through public interventions. His work has appeared in several publications including Wired, PBS News Hour, New York Times, The Guardian, Boston Globe, Fast Company, Huffington Post, and Symmetry Magazine. In 2013 he represented the United States at the Bienal del Sur en Panama, in Panama City.

About One Columbia for Arts and History:

One Columbia for Arts and History is a non-profit organization that works to promote collaboration among citizens, the cultural community, and city government through celebrations of Columbia’s arts and historic treasures. Its goal is to enhance the quality of life for our residents, attract tourist dollars to our city, and further build our vibrant community. Visit the One Columbia website (http://onecolumbiasc.com) for a continuously updated master list of art and cultural activities occurring throughout the city.