It's Festival Season.
The cradle of Roman Graffiti and more cool stuff, in your 1st-of-the-month newsletter.
Ciao,
How's it going?
I'm absolutely, positively exhausted! It might sound crazy (and, perhaps, unhealthy), but there's something incredibly satisfying about pushing myself to the limit and giving it my all. So yeah, I'm happily worn out and loving every minute of this wonderful month of June!
Festival Season is officially in full swing! So, before sharing with you some juicy stories from the street art festivals I attended / worked at in June, I've got a little surprise for you. At the end of this newsletter, I'll be listing five street art festivals happening in July. And here's the kicker: if you dig it, I'll do the same for August and September. 😉
My June has been a whirlwind of excitement! Last time, I was writing to you from the enchanting medieval village of Civitacampomarano, where I was working as the social media manager for Italy's hottest street art festival, CVTà Street Fest. Below, I've got a behind-the-scenes report that'll teleport you straight into the heart of the action.
On a more personal note, working at Alice Pasquini's festival was an absolute honor. Flashback to the 2000s when I used to snap photos of her early works on the streets of Rome. And now, I had the chance to work at her street art festival -how cool is that?
But wait, there's more! Right after CVTà, I barely had time to catch my breath before jetting off to Aberdeen, Scotland, for the legendary Nuart Festival.
Let me tell you, this edition was something else. Everyone I chatted with, whether they were visitors, artists, or part of the crew, felt that special energy in the air. It was like all the puzzle pieces fell into place effortlessly. Now, I won't get all mystical on you, but trust me, it was a magical experience!
Oh, and speaking of achievements, for me this edition has been even more special because I was invited to speak at the prestigious street art symposium, Nuart Plus. I joined a panel on the role of press and media in shaping the street art world, and shared my personal experience running BLocal, the independent street art blog I've been curating since 2011.
Talk about a major milestone! None of this would have been possible without you, my dear readers. I'm incredibly grateful for your support and for joining me on this wild ride. :)
In the latter half of the month, I had the absolute pleasure of celebrating these achievements with some of you who visited me in Rome. Despite the scorching temperatures, it was a blast showing you my beloved city through my eyes. Rome never disappoints, right?
Next month, I'm taking a breather from the festival madness and shifting my focus to writing. I've got a street art book in the works, and I need to send in a first chapter by the end of the month. Rome is going to be my haven, but hey, I might just whisk myself away on a few day trips, all in the name of bringing you fresh and exciting adventures to update the Rome summer guide you'll find below.
Until next month,
Giulia
ps. It has been exactly one year since I last shared Beyond the Walls’ Reader Survey, so here it is. It's the same ol' questionnaire, so if you've already filled it out, feel free to skip ahead. I’m just sharing it for the newcomers: it's my way to welcome you and show you that I'm committing to making this monthly letter an entertaining delight for you. Your thoughts mean the world to me, and I'm always eager to improve!
BeSpoke, BLocal
Bespoke travel service to personalize your holidays in Europe.
Where are you spending your holidays? Wherever you are heading this summer, let me help you with finding the coolest spots and the best street art!
“Bespoke, BLocal” is my new travel design service for curious travelers who like to discover the most unusual and off-beat spots in town. I will create a custom travel itinerary based on your interests and passions, connecting you with the creative side of a city, and revealing locations of street art, abandoned places, alternative spots, and more hidden gems you won’t easily find around the web.
NEW on the blog!
San Lorenzo KIDZ
The San Lorenzo Kidz, Rome’s first graffiti crew, played a pivotal role in shaping the graffiti scene in Rome, focusing on wall paintings rather than graffiti on trains as a means of maintaining a strong connection to their neighborhood.
I originally wrote this story, in Italian, for a book about the San Lorenzo neighbourhood, which will be out after summer…stay tuned!
CVTà Street Fest 2023
Come with me behind the scenes of Italy’s most important street art festival! As the festival’s media partner and social media manager, my purpose was to capture the artists’ creative processes and delve into the stories behind their remarkable artworks.
Escape the Roman Summer: Day Trips Destination from Rome.
I’ve been digging into the blog archive to collect suggestions from the past 12 years of BLocal Blog! I’ll keep updating this article throughout the summer as long as I discover new spots on my own quest for fresh air.
So far, categories are: street art, abandoned places, wonder, picturesque towns, swimming, and (vegan) restaurants.
Updated!
I've added a bunch of fresh recommendations to the article about my beloved vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the city. So, if you happen to be planning a trip to Rome, make sure to check it out.
I’m keeping up with Instagram Reels, albeit reluctantly. This month, I've whipped up three reels showcasing the awesomeness of CVTà Street Fest, and another trio of reels capturing the magic of Nuart Aberdeen.
Unfortunately, I'm still locked out of my previous account, which was hacked last December, and my hopes of retrieving it are dwindling by the day. So, hop on over to my new account and let's keep the good vibes rolling!
I rely on the support of readers like you to keep creating genuine and informative content. If you value my work and would like to see more of it, please consider making a donation to support my writing.
You can Buy me Pizzas or Donate via Paypal.
Handpicked by yours truly, Nuart Edition
I've got some exciting news to share about the latest Nuart festival, so this time the whole segment dedicated to my favorite works that appeared over the past month is going to be about Nuart Aberdeen.
The Granite City was graced with an incredible lineup of talented street artists, adding to its already mind-blowing public art collection. As I continue my research for an epic article summarizing the seventh edition of the festival, I couldn't resist spilling the beans on my absolute favorite artworks.
Consider this a little teaser 😉
Let's talk about poster art. This year, it had me swooning (pun intended)! We had the legendary Jamie Reid, the creative genius behind the iconic Sex Pistols album cover that rocked my teenage world.
And then there's Swoon, the first recognized female street artist who took paste-ups to a whole new level. I was lucky enough to snag an interview (stay tuned!). Watching her work come to life before my very eyes was pure magic. Did you know she had retired from street art? The fact that she came back just for this festival made the experience even more incredible.
Swoon made her mark back in 1999 with exquisitely detailed and poetic creations. Her hand-cut paper and woodblock prints tell stories, evoking deep emotions and exploring themes of social justice, environmental consciousness, and human connection.
But wait, there's more! I had the pleasure of hanging out with another fantastic poster artist, Aida Wilde.
Aida Wilde’s posters are like fiery commentaries on gentrification, education, and equality. She organized workshops at local schools, resulting in a massive wall (“Tetris”) that breathed life into the city. And let me tell you, going on a rewilding mission with Aida was an absolute blast. She's an amazing woman with a ton of talent.
More posters were unleashed by the French duo Murmure, who also painted what might just be my favorite mural of the entire festival. It perfectly embodied this year’s theme of "Rewilding" by depicting a goldfish stuck in a plastic world, desperately trying to break free. It rebelled by doodling the anarchy symbol, but alas, it’s going to vanish into the mist. I interviewed them too, stay tuned to learn more about this poignant mural and the story of the street art duo.
There's one more mind-blowing mural to mention. It's called "An Ending, A Beginning" by the stencil master duo SNIK. This beauty is their largest mural to date, and get this—they cut their stencils by hand! Talk about dedication.
But here's the juicy part: their Pre-Raphaelite-inspired style is based on jaw-dropping photoshoots that took place in an Italian village near Naples. Italian photographer Ilaria Tortoriello and a talented, all-Italian team of models, make-up artists, and designers brought it all to life, creating the photos on which their murals and canvases are based. As an Italian myself, I'm unreasonably proud of it -and I can't wait to spill all the details when SNIK visits Italy for their next photoshoot. 😉
Lastly, but not least, the seventh edition of the Nuart Journal has been released during the festival days, and it's titled "Trespass." It's a must-have for all you street art aficionados out there. You can either buy it or grab a free PDF version—your choice!
Street Art Inside
Cut and Run, Banksy Official Show @ Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art until August 28th.
There are many unauthorized Banksy shows mushrooming all around the world, but this is a legit one and it collects Banksy’s stencils from 1998 - 2023. It’s organized by the artist himself, who released this statement:
“I’ve kept these stencils hidden away for years, mindful they could be used as evidence in a charge of criminal damage. But that moment seems to have passed, so now I’m exhibiting them in a gallery as works of art. I’m not sure which is the greater crime”
Banksy
5 Street Art Festivals happening in July 2023
July 6th - 9th: M.I.A.U. Fanzara is happening in Valencia, Spain.
July 10th - 16th: Sibiu Street Art Festival is happening in Sibiu, Romania.
July 21st - 23rd: Meeting of Styles is happening in Copenhagen, Denmark.
July 28th - 30th: Hands Off The Wall is happening in Munich, Germany. I wrote about this female street art festival in my Munich street art travel guide, check it out.
July 29th - 30th: Cheltenham Paint Festival is happening in Cheltenham, UK.