the street is our gallery

From mid-May to early June 2017, the city of Satka celebrates its first official street art festival. Together with their Swiss and Russian colleagues Nevercrew and Petro and Slak from Aesthetics Group, Italian street artists Solo and Diamond painted five facades of buildings in a residential neighborhood of Satka. This project is to give a possibility to give new energy to the chosen urban area.

The project is curated by the “Sobranie” Fund, with support of the Swiss Arts Council “Pro Helvetia” and the Italian Institute of Culture in Moscow. The Italian artists Solo and Diamond were invited to Satka by Italian art historian and curator Simona Capodimonti and director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Moscow Olga Strada. Their works are inspired by Russian culture and the influence it has had on literature, dance, theater and even the history of humanity.

One of the paintings depicted by Solo shows an astronaut, ready to take off. His helmet leaves the spectator with the message: “Don’t change your planet, change your world ” inviting the spectator to change his/her point of view. The astronaut is accompanied by the depiction of a dog, which the artist has made in honor of his faithful dog Akira, who has recently passed away.

Diamond’s mural depicts a beautiful woman surrounded by flying swans. The title of the work is “Diamonds in the soul”; a metaphor for the ‘gifts’ one receives after rediscovering oneself or overcoming a personal journey. The woman is adorned with a crown of roses on her head, creating a romantic feel. In her critical essay regarding the project, curator Simona Capodimonti emphasizes the connection between the two murals who are actually good friends in real life. She notes how both works represent the journey of a hero and stimulate the observer to reflect upon humanity, respect towards nature and the mystery of the cosmos.

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