Three giant murals in Mexico City not only help to beautify the capital’s urban landscape but also clean its contaminated air.

The new environmentally-themed murals were painted with Airlite, a technically-advanced paint that helps to neutralize contaminants in the air through a process similar to photosynthesis.

When sunlight hits the surface of the murals, a chemical reaction occurs and the surrounding air is oxygenated.

The three murals, located on buildings in the Cuauhtémoc, Juárez and Roma neighborhoods, are part of the “Absolut Street Trees” project, an initiative of French alcoholic beverage company Pernod Ricard.

Together they cover a surface area of 2,000 square meters and have the capacity to eliminate the annual contamination emitted by 60,000 cars.

Ana Carolina Herrera, brand manager for Pernod Ricard in Mexico, told the news agency EFE that the “Absolut Street Trees” project aims to raise awareness of environmental problems among young people while they are appreciating the urban street art.

“One of the most difficult challenges in the city is the contamination problem,” she said.

“. . . By mixing technology and art, this way of planting ‘trees’ was created . . . Besides putting a vibrant and colorful stamp on Mexico City, they [the murals] contribute to oxygenating the air.”

Herrera explained that the paint used in the murals has a lifespan of around 10 years.

The mural in the Cuauhtémoc neighborhood was painted on a building located on the Paseo de la Reforma boulevard by the Spanish collective Boa Mistura.

The group said that the soy porque somos (I am because we are) message in the mural is meant to convey that all humans are unique individuals but also part of something larger, like single leaves on the same tree.

Mexican artist Revost said that his mural on Álvaro Obregón street in Roma aims to promote sustainable living and gender equality. Entitled El árbol de las serpientes, the mural features two snakes wrapped around the trunk of a tree.

The third mural, located where Paseo de la Reforma meets Insurgentes avenue in Juárez, is still being painted by Seher One, a Mexican artist with an international reputation.

He told EFE that 98% of his art is focused on nature and aims to send a powerful message to people in order to “transform” their way of thinking or “stimulate curiosity” about certain issues.

Source: EFE (sp)