The Mercado Central Mural
by Pablo Kalaka

About the Mural

This mural is located at 1515 E Lake St. in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a city where more or less than 10% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latinx (Minneapolis City, Minnesota). The mural of Mercado Central is a part of other murals around the building that show many various aspects of Hispanic and Latino identities. It represents parts like indigenous cultures, religion, and agriculture.

The Mercado Central is a business center for thirty-five businesses of this community in Minneapolis that sell food, artisanal goods, and other services (Mercado Central). The mural, a beautiful and very colorful work, is by artist Pablo Kalaka. Kalaka is a muralist and Venezuelan artist who studied illustration in Spain, where there is a vibrant movement of urban art that includes his murals. He paints many murals around the world, especially in Spain, the United States, and other countries in the Americas. In the US, he has murals in New York and Minneapolis, and has held exhibitions and workshops in various cities like Saint Paul.

​

In the mural "Mercado Central," Kalaka depicted a man and a woman who appear to be farmers. He also represented a bull. The two farmers are seen cultivating the land, seemingly a corn field. The man is carrying a hoe and the woman is carrying crops. The two main colors depicted in the mural are green and blue, often used to represent the earth and nature. In the top left of the mural, there are four different figures; stars, moon phases, rain, and birds, possibly loons. One can assume these were painted to represent the work farmers put into making crops available for consumers to purchase. The stars and moon may represent the many nights and days it takes to cultivate land, the rain as a water source, and the loons to represent Minnesota as the crops make their way to Minnesota. 

Arguably, the most important part of the mural is the representation of agriculture. The two farmers with the bull are incorporated into the mural for a reason. According to Kalaka, "my idea was to say somehow that Mercado Central is a way to come back to our origins. The whole idea of the mural was to paint the people who made the food you're going to eat" (Ikramuddin).

By including these farmers in the mural, Kalaka is representing those that cultivate the land for the crops that are in the grocery store for Minnesotans to consume. It's important that consumers know and understand where their goods are coming from, especially since it is done by the work of other people from other countries and cultures. Additionally, the mural reflects on Latinos in Minneapolis as a way for them to feel comfortable in a land that may be away from their home. According to  Kalaka, Hispanic people who visit or spend time in the market are constantly returning to their past when visiting the market, they are displaying it and exchanging it (Kalaka). So, by including Hispanic farmers in the mural, Hispanic and Latinx people in Minnesota are being represented, especially outside a market focused on their cultural presence in our city. 

​

Works Cited: 

​

“Bio.” Kalaka, elkalaka.com/bio/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

​

Ikramuddin, Hana, and Katelyn Vue. "The Murals of Lake Street Deter Graffiti and Celebrate Culture." The Minnesota Star Tribune, 6 Sept. 2022, https://www.startribune.com/the-murals-of-lake-street-defer-graffiti-and-celebrate-culture/600198727. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.

​

“Kalaka, the Venezuelan Artist Who Illustrates Mexican Culture in the US." Noticiascol, 30 July 2018, www.noticiascol.com/2018/07/30/kalaka-el-artista-venezolano-que-ilustra-la-cultura-mexicana-en-ee-uu. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.

​

Mercado Central, mimercadocentral.com. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

“Minneapolis city, Minnesota.” U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts, www.census.gov/quickfacts/minneapoliscityminnesota. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

​

​