Piccolo Cinema America decorates Trastevere market

Artists attached to the Piccolo Cinema America in Trastevere have been busy decorating the nearby market square in Piazza S. Cosimato.

In recent days the delapidated shutters of the market stalls have been transformed with images from films linked to Rome such as Ladri di biciclette; Un sacco bello; Brutti, sporchi e cattivi; and Roma città aperta. The 16 scenes, all painted in a variety of grey tones, have been created by artists from local graphic arts association B5 in colloboration with the cinema on Via Natale del Grande, with the support of the city's culture councillor Giovanna Marinelli.

The initiative is the latest in a growing number of street art events in and around Rome. Agostino Iacurci from Foggia is currently underaking a mural in the east Rome district of Torpignattara, while currently there are 40 street artists from 14 different countries participating in the fourth edition of Memorie Urbane Street Art Festival, the biggest ever festival dedicated to street art in Italy. The works are being created in seven towns and cities around Rome, including Gaeta, Terracina, Fondi, Arce, Latina, Priverno and Caserta, between now and June.

On 28 February Rome artist Hitnes unveiled his series of works painted on six façades of buildings in the S. Basilio suburb of east Rome, following in the footsteps of Iacurci and Spanish artist LIQEN, bringing to an end the extremely successful SanBa regeneration project.

Also in February, Rome street artist Diamond and Berlin-based Australian REKA ONE were among 18 artists who created large scale works as part of a street art project in Tor Marancia in the Ardeatino neighbourhood.

Other recent murals around the city include works by Bologna-based BLU on Via Porta Fluviale in Ostiense, the image of Daniza the bear by Belgian artist ROA on Via Sabotino in Prati, and the 32-m high mural of a man surfacing from a rubbish bin and sipping a coffee, by Polish street art duo Etam Cru, on the side of an eight-storey apartment block in Torpignatarra.

Ph. La Repubblica