The artist who shows us all the absurdity and contradictions of our society with his works

The works of the Spanish artist tell the contradictions and frustrations of the contemporary human being, inviting us to reflect.

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The works of the Spanish artist tell the contradictions and frustrations of the contemporary human being, inviting us to reflect on the need for a social transformation.





Octavi Serra's works are a mirror of the absurdity of contemporary societies. Changing formats and techniques, the Spanish artist subtly uses irony, sometimes even sarcasm, to construct conceptual installations that mock contemporary culture and seriously question the current social landscape. A visual poet that stings and makes you think.

The artist who shows us all the absurdity and contradictions of our society with his works

© Octavi Serra

Capturing the paradoxical aesthetics of our day, there are different emotions that Serra transmits to us with his works, there are those who enjoy themselves, those who feel understood and there are also those who feel hurt or those who deny. Through art he tells uncomfortable truths with ferocious greed and ingenuity. With his mural "Smile" - for example - made of plastic, recognized as one of the materials that do the most damage to the planet, he expresses how the use of a beautiful smile helps us not to face real problems and live peacefully in the self-deception, consuming more and more plastic.

The artist who shows us all the absurdity and contradictions of our society with his works

©Smile / Octavi Serra

With poetry and irony the artist plays with objects, concepts and spaces to shed light on different themes, urging social change at the top of his lungs. Whether it is climate change, corruption, selfishness, greed, consumerism, indifference, or any other aspect, Serra's sense of disillusionment and need for transformation in the face of the current scenario of human beings is evident.

The artist who shows us all the absurdity and contradictions of our society with his works

© Octavi Serra

 … We can travel around the world in a few days and take a walk on Mars. We are able to do what we want and, despite this, around 1000 children die every day from diseases associated with poor sanitation and access to water. It is hard to believe that such things are still happening today and it hurts to think that they happen because they are not our priorities. Creativity has the power to find solutions. The problem, I think, is that we are more creative when it comes to inventing problems, ”he explains in his work Sanitation.



The artist who shows us all the absurdity and contradictions of our society with his works

©Sanitation / Octavi Serra

The tree with the leaves of green plastic bags, the watch that chains you to work or the "I'll do it later" watch, the cameras aimed at the grass of a sidewalk as a critique of the vision of nature as an unlimited exploitable resource, encourage passers-by to leave their doubts in the trash can are just some of his works.

The artist who shows us all the absurdity and contradictions of our society with his works

© Plastic tree and Bottles / Octavi Serra

The artist who shows us all the absurdity and contradictions of our society with his works

© Octavi Serra

The social role of art

In search of a social transformation, art can be the best tool to invite us to reflect, question, get excited, get to know each other and recognize each other. We asked Octavi what the role of the artist is in the face of the climate crisis:

The artist who shows us all the absurdity and contradictions of our society with his works

© Octavi Serra

Art has a strong communicative component and, although it is not explicit, it must be responsible for its repercussions. In a society, art is a cultural generator. If those like us, who produce culture, do not take responsibility, the world could tend towards economic production without moral references to accompany the acts of society. In this way, if culture and humanistic thought are not strong, social concerns can, every time, be less social ”, explains the Spanish artist.


The artist who shows us all the absurdity and contradictions of our society with his works

© Windows / Octavi Serra

The project that enriched him the most was The Posttraumatic, a newspaper (not really a newspaper) made entirely by creatives, of which he is the art direction, which has managed to significantly shorten the distance between citizens, even the less interested, and the world of urban art thanks also to artistic pieces, democratic and accessible to the whole population.

The artist who shows us all the absurdity and contradictions of our society with his works

© The Posttraumatic / Octavi Serra

Octavi Serra's gaze and irony reflects the society in which it manifests itself. Do we want to close our eyes and smile or do we accept his invitation to demolish the absurdity of certain pillars that now support our daily life?


The artist who shows us all the absurdity and contradictions of our society with his works

© Octavi Serra

The artist who shows us all the absurdity and contradictions of our society with his works

© Bed / Octavi Serra

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