Since the concept of street art for approximately 10-15 years ago took its first baby steps in Italy, especially Bologna and Turin were pioneer cities. Here, a high number of artworks swarmed onto bare walls and abandoned buildings.
Rome then entered the scene, and in a few years Italy’s capital overtook both Bologna and Turin. In recent years, then, street art in Rome has spread like rings in the water with brightly colored, improvised art explosions in various parts of the city. Today, neighborhoods and areas such as Quadraro, Pigneto, Tor Marancia, Ostiense, Tufello, Corviale and more boast large areas of great street art, which have even become a tourist attraction.
Recently, however, also the North Italian city of Verona has gained a place on Italy’s map of interesting street art places. Recently, in March this year, the city inaugurated what is allegedly Europe’s first genuine street art hotel called “Muraless Art Hotel” – a hotel with a total of 94 rooms, all of which are dedicated to the street art phenomenon.
The hotel’s façade – truly a blast of a street art work – is signed by the artist Mr. Brainwash who was actually present at the inauguration. His work represents the very first brickwork that this American artist of French origin made in Italy several years ago. The 94 rooms and common spaces have been created through the overwhelming creativity of 50 different street artists, some of whom have world fame. The project is both innovative and unique, and the street art creativity has been hinged on cultural and artistic concepts that over time have enriched not only Italy, but in some cases also humanity itself. We are, of course, speaking about the Made in Italy-concept that over time has contributed to the imagine of Italy as land of art and beauty.
12 Made in Italy-keywords
The artists were inspired by a number of Italian thematic that celebrate Italian genius and excellence in every sector: wine, opera, cinema, engines, art, architecture, design, history, science, food, fashion and music.
In other words, you’ll find topics from Verdi to wine, from David to Da Vinci, from the Tower of Pisa to the Pantheon, from pandoro to pizza and from the Vatican’s Swiss Guard to gelati, the delicious Italian ice-cream. Therefore, the hotel can also be considered as a unique museum, with all it’s different rooms.
If you for example take wine as a key word, you find three different Italian wine represented: the famous Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany, often referred to as “the king of wine”, the Sardinian Cannonau-wine whose rooms are made by Andrea Castagnino, whose artist name is Web3. His wine-rooms are made in warm brown colors which immediately make you think about Italian autumn fields. The last represented wine is the Apulian Nero d’Avola which is painted by the Italian young Italian writer Deboyo.
Yet another key word where you’ll find a considerable artistic outlet is the field of engines – cars as well as scooters -, a field where Italy has always had “a name”. Here – in the rooms nr. 230, 238 and 242 – you’ll find Ferrari-cars, Ducati-motorcycles and Lambretta-scooters. The Lambretta was, back in the 1960ies the biggest “competitor” of the more famous Vespa. That competition was won by the Vespa which gained world fame. The Lambretta came out of production, but now, thanks to the street artist Max Gatto, this nostalgic vehicle is now riding again, at least on the walls of Muraless Art Hotel, which allows you to dream about nostalgic trips with your eyes wide open.
The famous Italian cinema
The keyword “cinema” could, of course, not be forgotten, and here, in room number 222 you’ll find a representation of one of the great masters, Federico Fellini. The artist is Nello Petrucci who has used a collage-and-acrylic technique in order to make you sleep with one of Italian film’s biggest film icons.
But also the famous Italian spaghetti western has its representation, symbolized, of course, by the iconic film instructor Sergio Leone, who you’ll meet in room number 220, where the artist Seacreative has let his artistic genius run wild. In this room, dedicated to Sergio Leone (Rome, 1929 – Rome, 1989), among the characters portrayed in addition to that of the director, you’ll also find an interpretation of Clint Eastwood, the actor who has become one of the most emblematic faces of Leone’s films, taken from the movie “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”.
The idea for this new interior design came from art critic and curator Chiara Canali, who developed the idea together with Deodato Arte, an art gallery in Milan.
This is, in other words, the hotel which will assure you sweet dreams if you are a street art-lover.
Info:
Muraless Art Hotel
Via Scuderlando 122,
37060 Castel D’azzano (south of Verona)
https://www.muralessarthotel.com/en/
