Artivism, not goods.
Urbex in Italy and more cool stuff, in your 1st-of-the-month newsletter.
Ciao,
how are you?
It's been a difficult month in my family, due to the passing of my grandfather. But I don't want to bring you down with my sorrows, so let’s talk about what has recently caught my eye in the street art world -this month it’s local news, 100% Italian flavors ;)
A clandestine sentence written on walls has suddenly appeared on a Dior stole under the spotlight of the most popular event on Italian TV. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and let’s count together the many ways this is wrong.
Artivism, not goods.
On the most popular stage in Italy (that of Sanremo Song Festival, an annual festival that has been held every year since 1951, which engages millions of viewers every night) the million-dollar influencer Chiara Ferragni wore a Dior stole with the sentence “Pensati Libera” (“Think of yourself as free,” in the female declension).
On her social media, Chiara Ferragni credited the photography duo Claire Fontaine for the empowering message, but the sentence actually comes from the street. It’s the signature of the elusive street artist Cicatrici Nere, who has been writing this sentence for the past years on the walls of different cities across Europe.
Cicatrici Nere believes anonymity is fundamental in street art. Like many other street artists from Banksy to BLU, Cicatrici Nere wants to stay anonymous to not overshadow his art, while highlighting that he doesn’t “own” his art -nobody does, because art in the public space is owned by the collectivity. In this way, everybody can identify with the message, resonate with it, and make it their own.
People often believe that street artists remain anonymous for fear of being prosecuted for the criminal damage inflicted by their art, but that’s not the whole story. Often, embracing anonymity is part of the message a street artist wants to share through their art: when nobody owns the artwork, the artwork belongs to everybody.
If street art is on walls and urban furniture (surfaces that can’t be carried away), it’s not a coincidence. That’s, rather, what constitutes street art. Cicatrici Nere wrote his empowering statement on walls, which nobody can grab and sell. If he intended it to be worn, he would have made a T-Shirt.
By creating a street art piece rather than any kind of sellable goods, Cicatrici Nere determined the fate he intended for his art: to belong to everybody.
This doesn’t mean -as Dior seems to believe- that anybody can appropriate it and use it for commercial purposes. Street art is born to fight exactly that: the commodification of art. What Dior did distorts the essence of street art, and deprives us all of an artwork that was meant for the collectivity.
Born as a message to free people (regardless of their gender, so here’s also a misunderstanding of the meaning of the piece by Chiara Ferragni) from a suffocating modern life, the artwork “Pensati Libera” became, unwillingly, the claim of a luxury brand that sells products to a very small group of people.
I’d love to read your comments on that, or even discuss similar cases that happened in your country -just reply to this email, or leave a comment on Substack.
Until next month,
Giulia
ps. At last, I opened a google page for my street art and alternative tours in Rome. If you did a tour with me, please take a moment to leave a review here. Thank you!
pps. I’ll be in Barcelona at the end of the month. Hit me up if you want to meet for a beer or check out some street art together! See you in real life ;)
New on the blog!
I published one more profile for the Urban Legends series, check it out!
Shepard Fairey: The Art and Story of OBEY
Shepard Fairey is an iconic artist and activist who has had a profound impact on contemporary culture. His most famous work, the “Hope” poster created for Barack Obama campaign, has influenced the turn of American elections. Fairey’s art is often political and rebellious, challenging authority and promoting social justice.
I visited the exhibition “Bronx ‘n’ Rome” celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop culture. I’m a bit disappointed because graffiti is underrepresented and the show focuses on Italian rappers and other prominent figures in the Italian hip hop scene (not graffiti writers, though), but the exhibition is still worth visiting :)
Bronx ‘n’ Rome: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop @ Officine Fotografiche
In this article, I also wrote about the origins of hip hop and why we say that the Culture turns 50 in 2023.
New on Youtube!
I went to a couple of abandoned factories near Rome, this is what I found:
Abandoned Factories near Rome
From industrial relics to forgotten works of art, I take you on a journey through time to uncover the secrets of these forgotten places near Rome.
Coming soon on the blog: a detailed article with the history of these two abandoned factories + GPS locations, stay tuned!
New on Insta! @street_art_city_guides
I’m publishing a series of reels to spread the word about my Rome Street Art Travel Guide. The first one, which is already out, shows some highlights from the southbound route (from Tor Marancia to Portuense), check it out!
Note: I have no idea why, but the first time you click on the button above it will open a generic reel page. Click again, and you will open my reel about street art in Southern Rome. Or you can open it from here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpALcpDI5Gb/
Tomorrow I’m publishing the second one (eastbound route) and next week yet another one. The goal is to publish something new every Thursday, please keep me accountable!
Updated!
At last, I've updated my article on abandoned places in Sardinia adding the most interesting place I explored last summer:
The United States Air Force Radio Station in Tempio Pausania
Inaugurated in 1966 and then dismantled in 1993, the USAF station was used to transmit coded messages thousands of miles away during the cold war.
You somehow stumbled upon my blog and subscribed to the newsletter, but you have no idea who I am and how my blogging journey has unfolded so far? Here I share the ups and downs of my first 11 years of blogging :)
If you value genuine blogging, and have been using my travel and street art maps, please consider making a contribution. Your support makes all of this possible.
Handpicked by yours truly
Not many links this month, I was caught up in my head and haven’t spent much time online. As I wrote at the beginning of this letter, February was a sad month for me. Thing is, I was really close to my grandfather. Anyway, here are a couple of exhibitions I wish I could visit, and an Italian movie I recommend you to watch:
Beyond the Streets at Saatchi Gallery in London: the iconic exhibition on graffiti and street art has landed in Europe. And it took over all three floors of London’s Saatchi Gallery! I wish I could go! If you visit the show, please send me pics :)
Another amazing exhibition I wish I could visit is Super Terram, which is happening in Paris. The show gathers the works of some of my favorite street artists, from Axel Void to Gonzalo Borondo. Here is a detailed review by my friend Sèverine (Altinnov Blog), check it out!
I hope “Siccità” (Italian for drought) is available in your country. This movie by Paolo Virzì shows a not-so-surreal Rome in a time of drought, with the Tiber river all dried up and people fighting for accessing water. It’s an evocative film about the effects of a changing climate, starring some of my favorite Italian actors, from Valerio Mastrandrea to Emanuela Fanelli.
I look forward to your Barcelona trip, and map?... I'll be there in June 😊