Airports have a key role to play in championing a city’s or country’s craft, culture, tastes and traditions. For visitors they offer the first and last impression of the locality, for that city’s citizens they provide a source of civic pride. An arts & culture programme connects passengers to a place in the same way an airport connects them to the world. Many airport companies embrace that role with pride and passion as we explore in our regular column.
URUGUAY. Aeropuertos Uruguay has restored the ‘Uruguay al Mundo’ mural on the viaduct opposite Carrasco International Airport, marking a decade since the terminal’s inauguration.
Created in 2019, the 1,000sq m mural pays tribute to Uruguayan culture through portraits of key historical figures.
Pinturas Inca has rejoined the project to infuse the mural with colour and vibrancy, alongside Colectivo Licuado, which also returns to collaborate on the work.
Aeropuertos Uruguay Commercial Manager Matías Carluccio said, “As the country’s main gateway, we seek to bring our identity closer to the thousands of passengers who visit us every day.
“The renewal of this mural is a way of enhancing public space through art, sharing what represents us, and reaffirming our commitment to tourism and the cultural enrichment of Uruguay.”
The mural features notable personalities such as singer-songwriter and poet Alfredo Zitarrosa; actress China Zorrilla; artist Carlos Páez Vilaró; sociologist and journalist José Pedro Varela; racing driver Gonzalo ‘Gonchi’ Rodríguez; biologist Clemente Estable; poet Juana de Ibarbourou; and dancer Rosa Luna. They were chosen through a public vote that attracted over 11,500 responses.
A total of 600 litres of material went into restoring the mural, including 300 litres of AkzoNobel’s Incamur Super Acrylic paint and 300 litres of International anti-graffiti coating, designed to block aerosols and inks from adhering to the surface and protect against vandalism.
The restoration retained the artwork’s original essence, boosting colour vibrancy and adding subtle hues that deliver small visual surprises.
The initiative was previously designated as a ministerial interest project by the Ministry of Education and Culture, and received support from the Canelones Departmental Government, as well as the Ministries of Transport and Public Works, Tourism and Defence.
The project also reinforces Carrasco Airport’s commitment to promoting cultural development and tourism in Uruguay. ✈
