Rome’s graffiti
Whilst you don’t think of graffiti on your list of Rome monuments and things to see. There’s an Italian Banksy out there, and many more, who are becoming more well known and adding to the Italian graffiti boom.
Rome’s suburbs are among some of the neighbourhoods chosen to feature in a new street art project aimed at creating an ‘alternative’ tourism itinerary in the capital.
The project has seen the creation of 40 works by street artists in as many locations in the course of two months. These include an installation outside the landmark gasometer in the southern Ostiense neighborhood, painted buildings surrounding a public park in the northern San Basilio district, an ode to the late singer-songwriter Fabrizio de André at the entrance to the northeastern Rebibbia metro station and a graffiti mural in the multi-cultural Tor Pignattara neighbourhood in eastern Rome. “It is a kind of immigration tale featuring people who have come from Palestine or Bangladesh or China to live in Tor Pignattara,” said street artist David Vecchiato (Diavù) of the mural made in collaboration with two other street artists.
“They cohabit very well on this wall, and they can probably do so in real life too,” he continued.
“With the funding for this project, Rome is increasingly turning into an open-air museum,” said city councillor for culture Giovanna Marinelli.
“We are mapping the entire city to create a new tourist itinerary in a way that places value on street art and the new languages of culture in the capital,” she said.
Rome arts council are drawing a map of all the street art, so we will be doing walking tours with even more background design, in the near future.
Zilda is one of the more well known street artists in Rome.
Rome is full of surprises. You never know what you will find. Be it theatre or street art.