Street Art: Between Artistic Expression and Urban Renewal
Street Art: Between Artistic Expression and Urban Renewal
There are spaces in cities that, through street art, are taking on a new appearance, revitalizing certain urban areas and transforming them into more pleasant places.
These projects are not improvised but coordinated by the Municipality’s Youth Office and other institutions that promote calls for proposals and designate spaces for this artistic form of youth expression.
Some of these murals have now become part of the city's scenery, such as the walls enclosing industrial zones, the result of a jam session involving 110 writers about fifteen years ago; the large mural titled "Remember Beauty", which covers the facade of a building on Via Roen; "Mimesis" on Via Brennero; "Transparency" on an IPES building in Piazza Don Bosco; and others on Via Parma.
In recent years, available spaces have expanded and continue to be enriched with new works. One notable example is the wall of the Ada Negri School on Viale Druso, which each year is dedicated to a woman who has fought or continues to fight, against gender inequality, violence, and discrimination.
The first mural, created in 2020, portrays Ethiopian-born Trentino entrepreneur Agitu Ideo Gudeta, who was murdered in December 2020. Following her, the faces of Hawa Abdi (gynecologist, human rights activist, Woman of the Year 2010, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee), Wangari Maathai (environmentalist and Nobel Prize winner), and Miriam Makeba (musician and activist) have been added.
The most recent portrait, completed in December, features Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian activist imprisoned for her fight for human and women's rights and awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize.
Street art thus serves as a means for young people to express their sensitivity toward complex contemporary issues. A recent example is the underpass connecting Via del Parco to Via San Vigilio in Oltrisarco, where murals depicting scissors and strands of hair were created to show solidarity with Iranian women fighting for their freedom.
Image: Courtesy MurArte Bolzano