Ruedas de Colores de las Américas (“RCA” or “Ruedas”) is a global multi-stage storytelling and marketing platform.
Inspired by Panama’s Diablos Rojos —public buses that carried art, music and people’s stories on a daily basis— Ruedas aims to unite people across the Americas through cultural activations and exhibitions that showcase the rich cultural tapestry of the continents, the cultural artifacts that these vibrant communities produce, and the means of transportation and public spaces that make it all possible.
What makes Ruedas unique is the perspective of creating cultural and economic value through highlighting the overlap of transportation and art. Diablos Rojos are not the only time public transportation has served as a canvas or moving gallery for art, nor the only vehicle that has also become a channel of distribution for new music. Many other examples exist across the Americas and the world. But they serve as the inspiration for expanding what has been done before at the crossroads of art, culture and public transportation.
At a time when digital ways of interacting have taken over personal interactions and AI promises to create even more ways of being entertained and distracted, the value of real, in-person experiences that celebrate culture and people’s stories will only increase.
Ruedas provides not only a concept that can manifest through many different activations, but that also can expand our collective understanding of both what art is, and the possibilities of public transportation as places for art and stories distribution (not to mention, as a source of funding for art projects).
Key expressions of Ruedas:
- Show: A presentation in the media, with some pilot activations that feature some of the selected cultural expressions, in order to introduce the concept to a large audience.
- Showcase: Activations of the concept that can travel to different locations of the Americas and beyond. This includes showcases, museums, art galleries, libraries, mobile exhibits.
- Spectacular: The most ambitious presentation of the concept in large arenas with a large-scale, global event (e.g., a display of 30-40 buses wrapped in art that represent the cultural dignity of a specific culture, put it on the marketplace of World Cup areas),
Key dates and milestone activations:
- Pilot activation in NYC during 2027.
- LA Olympic Games 2028.