the street is our gallery

A shared public art project by the social promotion association “a.DNA“, dedicated to the territory of the Province of Salerno in Italy, has taken place involving some great Street Art. Its titled – Urban Area Open Spaces.

The workshop

These days, namely from Tuesday, February 10th 2015, at the Secondary School “A. Gatto”, located in Stella district in the city of Battipaglia (Salerno – Italy), began the fourth workshop scheduled between the activities of the project. The classes involved have used the writings with which some exterior wall of the building, were previously smeared, as colorful texture, creating the basis for some stencils that have been painted together with the children. The nonsense of the writing on the walls has been reversed, giving it a new form and new contents with phrases chosen by the students together with a.DNA Association: “Every man was a child” (A. Gatto); “The walls of the city mirror what we are”.

The artist

Millo from Pescara (Italy), was invited to join the project with a site-specific mural intervention, he carried out on the west facade of the school gym from February 16th. A long experience as an illustrator and muralist brought Millo to be internationally recognized and confronted with a variety of surfaces: from skateboards to blind walls of 30m tall buildings, from exhibition spaces to tram around Rome.

Called on this occasion to intervene in a different environment from the political and socio-cultural point of view as that of the city of Battipaglia, Francesco Giorgino (artist name)has had several impulses at distance that have been materialized on the walls of “A. Gatto” Institute.

Concept of the mural intervention

The cultural ferment and possible ways out are within the reach of those who live this city and need to understand that the grayness not only aesthetic, but also media, can be broken by a continuous collective activity able to overcome the competitive dynamics, transforming them into meeting opportunities. The window opened by Millo on the wall of the school “A. Gatto” in Battipaglia does not represent a possible emergency exit to escape from reality. On the contrary it is an invitation to gaze at what really surrounds us, to try to evolve mainly ourselves: the first step towards an active interaction with the places we live in and that we can make ours. “Urban Area open spaces” through the work of the invited artists and workshops with the children of the schools involved, tries to convey a sense of common identity starting from the reappropriation of living spaces where the citizens who live in should be able to interact without encountering barriers.

The project

From December 15th 2014, there were three workshops that involved as many institutes in the city of Battipaglia and Campagna (Salerno – Italy). El Nino De Las Pinturas from Granada (Spain), Luispak from Battipaglia, carried out respectively murals on the buildings of primary schools “Stella”, in Capone street, and “J.F. Kennedy” in Belvedere street, both in the city of Battipaglia. The third workshop involved students attending the third year of the Institute “Confalonieri” in Campagna. Unfortunately, the mural intervention of the Roman artist Mr. Klevra, which should have been postponed because of bad weather condition.

A project by a.DNA, with the sponsorship of the Region of Campania, Province of Salerno, City of Battipaglia, City of Campagna, Provincial Agency for Tourism of Salerno, the technical support of Alba Nuova, GraffitiShop, Eurofer, thanks to the support of sponsors Terra Delle Rose, Dairy Farm “La Fattoria”, “La Creanza” restaurant, “Ornella” Pastry, Sandokan restaurant, Farabella Nurseries, Fontana Orthopedics and the collaboration of the project partners APdesign, Bè il Punto di vista, SD graphic, and media partners I Support Street Art, South Italy Street Art.