{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-editorial-js","path":"/editorial/a-temple-on-fire-an-interview-with-pichiavo/","result":{"data":{"wpgraphql":{"post":{"title":"A Temple on Fire: An Interview with PichiAvo","author":{"name":"admin","avatar":{"url":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9af25ed0fd46963a99e46b0b36a0ced8?s=96&d=mm&r=g"}},"colourFeatureImage":"[171,129,83]","content":"\n

For their latest project, Valencia-based duo PichiAvo turned one of the core ideas behind their practice into a monumental offering.

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Created for the Fallas festival, Per ofrenar (“To Offer”) took the form of a classical Ionic temple, built using traditional wood and paper techniques before being consumed by fire during La Cremà, the festival’s closing ritual.

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Inside the structure, an altar made from surplus paper from their anthology Our Odyssey held two sculptural candles in balance, one representing Classical Art, the other Graffiti, distilling the dual language they have developed over nearly two decades of working together.

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We spoke with Juan Antonio and Álvaro about ritual, impermanence, and how this temporary structure fits into the ongoing evolution of their work.

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IG: Your murals usually reshape existing urban architecture, but with Per ofrenar, you built the architectural form itself, a classical temple that became the very stage for your language. How did that change the way you thought about composition and space?

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PichiAvo: From a creative perspective, it’s not so different from painting a mural. In essence, it’s still about composing within a space and applying our visual language. However, this project pushed us to innovate in terms of form, while staying true to our identity. It also allowed us to show a clear evolution of our work within the public space.

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At the same time, we had to consider specific architectural aspects: the location, how visitors would move through and use the space during the offering ritual, the flow of pedestrians around it, and of course all safety protocols, especially considering that the structure was ultimately meant to burn.

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IG: Can you tell us a little bit about your collaboration with artisan Paco Ribes and the use of traditional wood and paper techniques to build the monument? What was it like working within a centuries-old craft tradition?

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PichiAvo: To give some context, nowadays very few falla artisans still use traditional techniques. Most have pushed the craft towards more industrial processes, often using materials like expanded polystyrene, which we strongly oppose due to their environmental impact. That’s why we were committed to working with traditional materials such as wood and paper, both as a tribute to this centuries-old craft and as a more sustainable option, especially considering the final burning.

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Working with Paco Ribes wasn’t always easy. He comes from a more commercial perspective of the craft, and at times we had to firmly defend our vision to achieve the result we wanted. For us, using traditional craftsmanship was essential and non-negotiable.

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IG: Inside the temple, the altar features two sculptural candles representing Classical Art and Graffiti, balanced like a scale. Was this meant as a reflection of the equilibrium between those two forces in your work?

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PichiAvo: Both candles are actually part of a single sculptural volumen, they fit into each other, even if that wasn’t visible inside the temple. Together, they represent our visual language and act as the symbolic entity receiving the offering.

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There are multiple readings. On one hand, the candle with the classical female bust could be seen as representing a religious offering, while the graffiti lettering represents a more pagan one. Both carry the same weight and importance within the act of offering, and within the context of Fallas (the celebration has pagan origins, but today it includes a wide variety of religious events). At the same time, they clearly reflect the duality in our work: classical art and graffiti coexisting in balance and harmony.

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IG: Reusing surplus paper from your anthology Our Odyssey for the altar turns part of your own archive into fuel for the piece. What meaning did that gesture carry for you?

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PichiAvo: The initial idea was to use that paper to build a Fallas monument, staying true to the origins of the festival, which historically involved burning leftover materials like wood and cardboard. Having that surplus made us reflect on how to give it a new purpose, which led us to conceive this installation.

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Symbolically, the paper became the altar, the base where offerings are made, almost like the foundation of the ritual itself. It held a central role within the project. At the same time, it displayed dozens of our past works to visitors, as it came directly from our book Our Odyssey, turning our own archive into part of the experience.

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IG: Much of your urban work already exists in dialogue with impermanence, shaped by weather, time and changing city environments, but this monumental work was explicitly designed for a ritual disappearance. How did knowing from the beginning that it would end in fire shape the way you approached it conceptually?

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PichiAvo: Our work in the street has always been ephemeral, and that’s something that naturally attracts us.

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In this case, the entire project was conceived as temporary from the very beginning, through the materials, the construction techniques, and all technical decisions.

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Conceptually, the candles already contained the symbolic fire of the Fallas, which would later take over the entire structure during La Cremà (the burning). In that sense, the ending was embedded in the piece from the start.

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IG: After years of developing distinct techniques such as Lefkos, Diaspasis and Chromata, where do you feel this project sits within your constantly evolving visual language?

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PichiAvo: This project opens up a new direction in our practice, one that incorporates architectural volume.

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In recent years, one of our main goals has been to engage with public space through architecture and public sculpture. This project clearly moves in that direction, and we’re very interested in continuing to develop more urban interventions and permanent sculptural works in the future. We have recently been working on a monumental sculpture project for a public space that should be unveiled soon.

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IG: Per ofrenar will be followed almost immediately by the Mural of Athena in Athens, another dialogue with classical antiquity, but now on its home ground. Do these two projects feel connected to you, and where do you see your relationship with the classical world taking you next?

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PichiAvo: The projects are independent, but they are definitely connected.

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The temple we created in Valencia is inspired by the Temple of Athena Nike at the Acropolis in Athens. At the same time, the Athens mural was conceived in Valencia and will incorporate our graffiti language, which is deeply rooted in our origins within the graffiti scene in Valencia.

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Our relationship with the classical world continues to evolve naturally. It’s not something we approach in a fixed way, but rather as an ongoing dialogue between past and present, tradition and contemporary urban culture.

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For more of PichiAvo’s work, revisit our previous feature here, or visit their website.

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