Creative workshops at Örebro OpenArt: Rainbow magic on Ekeka´s Mantel

This summer OpenArt Örebro, an art biennial that takes place outdoors in the middle of the city, opens for the ninth time. In this year’s edition, Public Art Agency Sweden participates by inviting the artist Valeria Montti Colque, who creates El Rey gick ovan el Rainbow blev en vacker Rosa, festmåltid på Ekekas Mantel – a large-scale installation and a performance artwork. A new world will take shape together with the audience.

Through creative workshops, the artwork keeps growing all summer. Join in, in the creation of Valeria Montti Colque’s universe!

Three creative workshops for the work El Rey gick ovan el Rainbow blev en vacker Rosa, festmåltid på Ekekas Mantel by Valeria Montti Colque. 

 Participate in one or more creative workshops with the artist Valeria Montti Colque where we will be weaving a rainbow and creating a magical space with textiles, sound, clay, food, plants, water, colours, masks and costumes. 

During three creative workshop sessions, new parts and new stories are added to the work El Rey gick ovan el Rainbow blev en vacker Rosa, festmåltid på Ekekas Mantel.  In each workshop, we explore playful themes  with the characters such as The Cloud, The Rainbow and La Ekeka. Together, we will be using fantasy and imagination, and joining rituals, and the magic of creation, to transform the place and allow the artwork to grow. Join us as you are – become who you want to be!  

The artist Valeria Montti Colque organizes the programme together with other artists, performers and musicians. The workshops are free of charge and take place outdoors in the middle of Örebro. We offer a fun and playful programme for all ages – children and their accompanying adults, young and old. Welcome!  

Program

Voices & Beats

Workshops Sunday 16 June. Time: 13.00–15.00
Address: Järntorget (Bernadottestatue)  

• 13.00–14.00, Song Web/Song Circle: We weave our voices together, exploring the magical healing and unifying power of song, beyond language and background. A workshop with the musician and performance artist Ida Lod.  
• 13.00–15.00, Colour the World: Painting and collage workshop with artist Valeria Montti Colque. Have you ever thought about the colours of your emotions? And how beautiful, rich and generous the world is? Dive in and let the colours show you the way.  
• 14.00–15.00, Drums for Everyone: Drum workshop with musician David Heikkinen. Accessible drums are available to anyone who wants to join in the rhythm and together bring the place to life. 

Rainbow & Fountain

Workshops Saturday 10 August. Time: 12.30–15.00.
Address: Järntorget (Bernadottestatue)

•  12.30–15.00, Weave Rainbow: Together with the textile artist and educator Sarai Alvarez Riveros, we weave a large rainbow in different fabrics, threads and colours. The inspiration for the rainbow comes from Ngüren 1km, a project in which around 500 Mapuche weavers in Wallmapu (ancestral territory that comprehends southern Chile and Argentina), got together to weave a 1 km long fabric of traditional cloth with the hope of breaking a world record. Ngüren means textile in mapuche language and the project was done by Foundation Chilka. 
• 12.30–15.00, Clay for our Fountain: In the middle of Ekekas Mantel stands a fountain populated with fantasy characters. Inspired by the fountain, we create new figures that can enrich the place and join the friends who already live there. A workshop with ceramicist, artist and educator Berenice Hernandez. 

Ekeka´s Party! Hips don’t lie

Workshops and pop-up workshops Sunday 8 September. Time: 13.00–16.00.
Address: Järntorget (Bernadottestatue)

•   13.00–16.00, Cumbia Oldschool & Mix with DJ Real Raja Vampyra (Mariana Silva Varela) that will make you move your feet! We gather one last time at Ekeka´s Mantel to celebrate and dance to the beauty of the world. 
• 14.00–15.00, Talk&Picnic: Come and share food and ways to make food with the organisation Öva svenska och laga mat. 
• (Pop-up) Warm-up dance: The forbidden steps (los pasos prohibidos) with Carlos Martinez as El Flow-er.  
• (Pop-up) The Becoming: Transform into a character through a face painting and mask workshop with artist Rossana Mercado-Rojas.  
•  (Pop-up) Take Care of a Flower: La Ekeka revisits Örebro to hand out flowers to the public and offer rainbow popcorn as a finale and farewell. 

El Rey gick ovan el Rainbow blev en vacker Rosa, festmåltid på Ekekas Mantel is an installation and a performance artwork by Valeria Montti Colque produced by Public Art Agency Sweden for Örebro OpenArt. The work is available during OpenArt, 15 June–8 September, 2024.