If you ever find yourself wandering the northern Buenos Aires suburbs of Victoria, Tigre, or San Fernando, you may see some of your favorite superheroes painted on shops, bus stops, and walls.
Take a closer look and you’ll see a common factor: nearly all of them are wearing the shirt of Club Atlético Tigre football club.
The man responsible for these wonderfully unique paintings is Enrique Burone Risso — but he’s known by locals as the Batman of Tigre. An artist for over 40 years, Burone has worked with the Zurbarán gallery since 2003, as well as teaching art classes to young aspiring artists.
Burone painted his first Batman mural in January 2020 as a response to crime in the neighborhood. “The hooded man’s magazines were my first readings,” he said of the Batman comics. “In a moment of insecurity in the conurbano [suburbs of Buenos Aires], Batman imposes security from the walls,” Burone told the Herald.
Since then, he’s been putting a smile on the faces of the residents of San Fernando, the city in which he was born, lives and works.
As well as watching over the citizens of San Fernando from the walls, Burone’s murals combat storefront vandalism. “I ask permission to paint,” Burone said. “The designs are made especially for each wall. I show the design or sketch to the property owners… Many want a mural so people don’t graffiti [their stores].”
Burone is a lifelong fan of his local football team, Club Atlético Tigre, which he describes as a neighborhood club that inspires passion and euphoria among its loyal fans. His love for the club is evident in his paintings, and the walls of the team’s José Dellagiovanna stadium are proudly painted with his murals.
“I have followed El Matador [Tigre] since I was very young,” Burone said. “My father took me to the stadium when I was five years old.” Today, at 68, he’s still faithful to the club, making sure he goes to games both home and away.
His “Bati-murals” are proliferating across San Fernando, and currently, he believes there are around 35. Does he have a favorite?
“It’s difficult to choose a favorite painting,” he said. “There are several and they are the ones that make up an artist’s collection.”
This love of football, superheroes and art are geographically interwoven with the brick and mortar of his community, forming the essence of his style. The paintings depict several saviors, but there’s only one real superhero in Zona Norte: Enrique Burone Risso, the Batman of Tigre.