During its 5 editions the “Without Frontiers. Lunetta a Colori” festival has enriched the district with 42 impressive works
“Without Frontiers. Lunetta a Colori” is the title of the festival of urban regeneration and contemporary art of Mantua. On October 28th, it concluded its 5th edition bringing to the suburban district of Lunetta 5 more works that enrich as many streets and buildings. The history of this neighborhood begins on May 5, 1963, with the construction plan of social housing for 12 thousand inhabitants. Today, thanks to the festival, those same spaces, which over time have grown and changed, host 42 works created by 35 internationally renowned artists, who have painted Lunetta as if it were was a blank canvas, redefining its landscape and sociality.
There is ‘Eukasia‘, concluded on October 18, 2020, by artists Andrea Casciu and Kiki Skipi as a tribute to the power of imagination. But also to MrFijodor’s work, who, in 2019, worked on the theme of plastic pollution in synergy with the youngsters from Lunetta, to whom he also entrusted the choice of the location of the mural. While violence against women is at the center of the engrossing combo signed by Ericailcane and Bastardilla. Sebas Velasco, on the other hand, portrayed a citizen of the community as a symbol of equality in one of the most beloved and photographed walls of the area. Nevertheless, figurative works are flanked by optical experiments and visual deceptions that redesign architectural surfaces like the one realized by Peeta in 2018.
“Without Frontiers” is a project full of life and in continuous evolution
“Without Frontiers. Lunetta a colori” was born in 2016 in the context of the initiatives related to Mantua Capital of Culture. The event aims at the regeneration of the Lunetta district, through urban art interventions coordinated every year by different curatorial projects. The festival is the main project of Caravan SetUp, an association that promotes culture through visual art. Under the guidance of art critic and independent curator Simona Gavioli. Gavioli commented this 5th edition saying: “After five years, I look at Lunetta and I don’t recognize it. The skeleton is the same, of course, but almost nothing is left of the grey that characterized it. The people who live there are the same, but their gaze is different. Now it is lively, curious, enveloping; and it is incredibly gratifying to know that “Without Frontiers” has been one of the building blocks that led to this change. It is the greatest demonstration of the power of art. Every year, the artists have met the inhabitants of Lunetta. They have listened to their stories. They have created workshops for children and teenagers. Some enjoyed meals in their homes.” Adding, “To be able to realize this fifth edition in such a difficult moment, shows how much “Without Frontiers” is a project full of life and in continuous evolution.”
Ilona Catani Scarlett
Photo Credits: Livio Ninni