Welcome to the audio guide of the exhibition "Street Art Revolution. From Warhol to Banksy, the (true) history of urban art"
This audio guide will accompany you in the discovery of the exhibition through curiosities, news and insights on the works and artists present in the exhibition.
Follow the order of the tracks or choose a section of the exhibition to listen to the audio guide with a click.
Welcome to the Street Art Revolution exhibition. From Warhol to Banksy: the (true) history of urban art!
Get ready for a boundless journey into the vibrant heart of Street Art. This audio guide will be your companion on your adventures, taking you to discover legendary artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Blek le Rat, Obey and Banksy. Together we will explore how these visionaries transformed the streets into real open-air galleries, giving voice to their creativity and launching powerful messages that still resonate today.
In this first room, you will immerse yourself in the universe of the father of Pop Art: Andy Warhol. Visionary and pioneer, Warhol revolutionized contemporary art as we know it today. With his innovative approach, he elevated images of mass culture to artistic icons, breaking down the barriers between art and everyday life and making art accessible and recognizable to all.
Leaving behind the first room with the provocative Campbell’s Soup and Flowers by Andy Warhol, continue and admire some silkscreens from the Ladies & Gentlemen series and the iconic Marilyns by the Pop Art master.
Warhol is known for his ability to transform pop culture figures into universal symbols and these two series are a perfect example.
This room is dedicated to Keith Haring, a vibrant icon of contemporary art and activism of the 1980s. Born in 1958 in Pennsylvania, Haring developed an early passion for drawing, inspired by comics and cartoons.
Continue your journey and stop in front of one of the most impressive works of the exhibition: Fiorucci Wall.
The work consists of an Action Painting intervention created by Keith Haring between 1983 and 1984 for the famous Fiorucci store in Milan. This large work, created with spray paint on wooden panels, perfectly exemplifies Haring’s distinctive style, with its thick lines and stylized figures.
Continuing our journey through Street Art, it is necessary to explain the evolution of Writing, a movement born in the streets of New York in the 1970s. This phenomenon has radically transformed the perception of public space, starting from the most disadvantaged neighborhoods to become a global expression. Initially, graffiti artists, or writers, simply wrote their tag—a unique signature—with markers and spray paint on walls and trains.
In the Writing field, the artist JonOne stands out, a master of Street Art, who has been able to convey the energy and vitality of writing on canvas.
We now invite you to observe Your Mines. Made in 2021, this work is a large-scale acrylic on canvas that spectacularly embodies the artist’s vibrant and dynamic style.
Here we are now in the room dedicated to Stencil Art, one of the most powerful and accessible forms of Street Art. Stenciling is a technique that allows you to create detailed and reproducible images quickly and precisely.
Take a look at the work Agile by Banksy, one of the most famous street artists in the world. The protagonist of this work is one of the most recurring symbols of his artistic production: a rat.
According to the artist, the rodent is the very incarnation of the concept of Street Art because it acts at night, without being seen and populates the streets and cities of the whole world.
We continue our journey by focusing on a work that has played a key role in the evolution of the perception of Street Art, pushing it from the margins to the center of the global artistic debate.
We are talking about the work Girl with Balloon by Banksy. Created for the first time in 2002 on a wall in London, this iconic image is not only a representation of Street Art, but a true cultural symbol.
As a final stop in this room dedicated to Stencil Art, we find the artist Jef Aérosol, with his work entitled Jim Morrison.
Made with the stencil technique, this portrait captures the energy and charisma of the frontman of the Doors through a clever play of light and shadow.
Our journey continues with a stop at Shepard Fairey, better known as Obey. Born in 1970 in Charleston, South Carolina, Fairey has developed an unmistakable visual language, strongly influenced by punk and underground culture.
You are now in front of Beyond the Street Billboard, a work by Obey that features the stylized face of André the Giant inside an advertising frame.
Now turn your gaze to another emblematic work by Obey: AR-quindici Lily.
In this work, the street artist forcefully addresses the issues of peace and human rights. The work contrasts the delicate beauty of the lily, a symbol of purity and life, with an AR-15 rifle, an emblem of violence and destruction.
From the United States we now come to Europe!
Here, Street Art, originally emerged as a powerful act of rebellion, has its roots in the rich social and political history of the continent; think for example of the iconic graffiti on the Berlin Wall and the slogans that vibrated on the walls of Paris in 1968.
Among the most important street artists in Europe we find Invader, a French artist whose identity is still unknown.
Famous for his style inspired by 80s video games, Invader creates pixelated images that recall the iconic aliens from the video game Space Invaders. His mosaics invade cities all over the world. .
We continue our journey with Vhils, a Portuguese artist who has revolutionized the concept of Street Art with his innovative style.
Now, before us, we find two works by the famous artists known as The London Police.
This dynamic duo, composed of Chaz Barrisson and Bob Gibson, are internationally recognized for their iconic characters, the “LADS” – smiling, rounded and stylised figures, who seem to invite us to immerse ourselves in a world of joy and positivity
Continuing into the room, we find D*Face, an artist who pushes the boundaries between traditional drawing and modern technology. In these works, D*Face combines detailed hand drawings with digital screens, creating a unique interaction between the physical and virtual worlds.
Here we are in the section dedicated to PichiAvo.
The Spanish artistic duo masterfully combines classical tradition with the energy of contemporary street art. In the exhibition we present the Diaspasis collection, a series of works that represent a dialogue between past and present, where mythology and classical art meet the visual language of graffiti.
Now turn your gaze to the work Perseus and Medusa with its preparatory drawing next to it. This work represents a perfect example of the duo’s ability to blend classical and contemporary elements.
Let’s delve into the work Perseus and Medusa and its preparatory drawing together.
Continuing the exhibition path we meet Mr. Brainwash, one of the most eclectic and controversial artists of the contemporary scene. Born in Paris as Thierry Guetta, Mr. Brainwash has become famous for his unique style that blends street art, pop art and mass culture
Continuing inside the room, we will find ourselves in front of numerous works by Mr. Brainwash that perfectly exemplify the artist’s poetics.
In the 90s, Italy opened up to a new form of art: Street Art, coming from the United States and major European cities. Initially visible in Milan, Rome and Bologna, this movement then spread throughout the country, from the industrial cities of the North to the coasts of the South.
Deserto con Vento by Sten Lex is a work that perfectly encapsulates the artistic research of the duo, pioneers of stencil in Italy.
Continuing on your left, we see two works by the duo Microbo and Bo130, including Fun to Mentalism. Characterized by a dense composition of abstract and symbolic elements, this work captures the viewer’s attention, thanks to the presence of organic forms that seem to float and intertwine with each other
Both Hogre and Biancoshock are two leading figures in social criticism expressed through Street Art, using provocation to unmask the alienating dynamics of contemporary society. Their works address issues such as consumerism, appearance and social control, inviting the viewer to reflect on their habits and the context in which they live.