L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano Repainting the Port of Catania: 8 Artists, 7 Silos, 10 Days It seems like myths and leg- ends thrive in volcanic towns. R e d - h o t l a v a a g a i n s t a s h e n , black rock and billowing smoke e v o k e s m y s t i c i s m a n d t h e reminder that we are merely humans, that nature is a power- ful force which we cannot con- trol, which we did not create. It inspires us to think deeper and look higher. THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 4 ELISABETTA SANTI This mysticism surrounds the city of Catania, home to Mount Etna and many myths of old. The very centrepiece of the city, the elephant, u liotru, is shrouded in myth, named after the ancient magician, Elidor and the Cyclopean islands, not far from Mount Etna, are the ones that inspired Homer's 'The Odyssey'. It is therefore no sur- prise that this volcanic city was chosen to host the "Street Art Silos" project from June 22 nd - J u l y 2 n d , w i t h t h e t h e m e o f m y t h s a n d l e g e n d s . D i e g o Ronsisvalle, the filmmaker who documented the progression of t h i s a r t i s t i c s a i d t h a t i t w a s without a doubt Catania's prox- imity to "luoghi emblematici del mito" that inspired curator, Giuseppe Stagnitta's choice. The mission of "Street Art Silos" was to transform the port of Catania by commissioning eight artists to paint seven giant silos in ten days. Far from the beautiful baroque centre and G i o v a n n i B . V a c c a r i n i ' s emblematic elephant, the silos are in the middle of Catania's industrial port harbour, and are one of the first sights that ships see as they drop anchor. They used to be anonymous, metal structures for storing Italian grain, but since the completion of this project they are now b u r s t i n g w i t h o v e r a t o n o f color, the use of 700 spray cans and the designs of eight brilliant minds. VladyArt, one of the artists, spoke about what the project offers to people: "It's a demon- s t r a t i o n o f w h a t a r t c a n d o , c h a n g i n g t h e p e r c e p t i o n s o f common structures like silos. It represents possibility because it shows what eight people can do in a matter of ten days." Vlady chose to paint three cans on his silo but remaining true to the theme of the project, he chose to can things that can- not be bought at the supermar- ket. His first can is 'Mermaid chunks in olive oil.' The middle can contains 'Artist Ego' and the top can is in the style of Andy Warhol's Campbell soup b u t w i t h t h e w o r d s , ' B o n i t o Oliva's Condensed Minotaur Spray Meat.' The project has certainly had i t s c h a l l e n g e s . T o p a i n t t h e silos, the artists were suspended in the air by cranes, working sometimes by hand, on surfaces a n d t e x t u r e s t h e y h a d n e v e r c o m e a c r o s s b e f o r e . V l a d y spoke about how the silos were rusty, dusty and dirty and he compared painting his silo to painting his first canvas because it was an entirely new experi- ence, an entirely new texture and medium to work with: "I've never had to face anything that i s a s t a l l a s a s e v e n - s t o r e y building and goes in a curved facet." Interestingly, it was canvass- es that first propelled Vlady into street art. Having studied Fine Arts in Milan, he became dis- couraged painting canvasses that nobody would ever see or appreciate. "I was painting only for myself, and the canvasses… were just in a pile in my stu- dio." However then he discov- ered the pleasures of street art, and the joy cultivated in creat- ing something for others; that others can share and that is visi- ble to all - not just to a chosen few in a chosen art gallery. He described it thus: "Doing something outdoor, even if it's something that does- n't really belong to you because y o u c a n n o t t a k e i t a w a y , i s nicer. We do it for ourselves but it doesn't actually belong to us. And since discovering that, now a b o u t 8 0 % o f w h a t I d o a r e things that I cannot take home with me. I can take pictures of my work, but it's not mine. It b e l o n g s t o t h e c i t y . I m i g h t move one day, but my work will be here. Not with me." The first phase of Street Art Silos Catania has finished but it s h a l l r e t u r n t o C a t a n i a i n S e p t e m b e r w h e n w o r l d - r e n o w n e d s t r e e t a r t i s t , Alexandra Farto aka Vhils, will sculpt the smaller silos that face out to the sea using a pneumatic drill for his work. What better way to welcome curious tourists to Catania, than a display of art- work that shouts beauty and possibility into a previously ugly, industrial environment. T h e m u r a l s o n t h e s i l o s w o n ' t l a s t f o r e v e r , b u t t h e y s h o u l d l a s t f o r a t l e a s t t e n y e a r s . T h i s i s t h e n a t u r e o f street art – the galleries are out- side, so no roof or enclosure other than the sky is there to protect and frame the designs. T h e u r b a n v e r n i c e o f s p r a y - paint shall mix with the salty spray of the Ionian Sea and the maritime wind, so the paintings will eventually fade and fall privy to the natural elements. However, the bold designs of these silos have made their mark and their designs will keep peo- ple thinking higher and deeper, for as long as they cover the steel surfaces upon which they a r e p a i n t e d . T h i s s t r e e t a r t belongs to the city, to the people and to whoever has the good fortune of gazing up at them to admire their magnificence. The mission of "Street Art Silos" was to transform the port of Catania by commissioning eight artists to paint seven giant silos in ten days

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