the street is our gallery

Poli Urban Colors 21 – the Urban Design Festival 2nd edition ended at Politecnico di Milano’s Campus Durando. From June 1st to 11th the event – curated by Luca Mayr with the support of Politecnico of Milan – has given to Bovisa district new Urban Art artworks, made by 45 Urban Artists and 20 Politecnico students. Poli Urban Colors 2021 has been made possible by the precious contribution of the main sponsor Zalando and sponsors Vans, Boero Colori and Clash Paint, under the patronage of Municipio 9 and the Municipality of Milan.

After the successful 2019 edition, this year the curatorial choice was deeply linked to the district and the Campus of Politecnico: the University represents the focus around Bovisa district and community life. Generations of students and artists – thanks to the prestigious institute – have been able to train themselves, gain real experience and start their careers as designers, engineers, architects and professional illustrators, all around the world.

This is the reason why 21 writers belonging to the local Graffiti Writing scene, all excellent students of the Politecnico di Milano, were called. Also, Poli Urban Colors 2021 involved other Graffiti Writers who – although different careers – share with their colleagues a real street credibility and together have written the history of Milanese and national Graffiti Writing scene.

The headliner of Poli Urban Colors 2021 was Peeta, Graffiti Writer from Veneto (Italy) and today one of the biggest names in the Urban Art scene worldwide. He is known for his paintings, able to outsmart architectures and surfaces deconstructing them through complicated algorithmic calculations and giving back to the eye of the user a new three-dimensionality, through the “simple” two-dimensional work of brushes and spray cans.

Peeta (Padua, Veneto) as Emans and Trota (Rome, Lazio), Corvino (Bologna, Emilia Romagna) and Caribes (Venezuela) are the clear expression of another curatorial choice: calling artists from Italian and worldwide Graffiti Writing movement, in order to give the Campus and all the people living it a complete vision of the different local and generational experiences. Poli Urban Colors 2021 also include artworks by: Luca Rancy with “Soul vacation”; Nabla & Zibe with “Pensiero Fluido” and Urban Solid with “Assembramento”. With them also Andrea Corvino, Frah Quintale, Giacomo Dallospazio and Refresh Ink. In the end, 20 students took part in Poli Urban Colors 2021, bringing on a wall their own experiments and visions.

Lastly, special thanks to the partners. Zalando gave space to Urban Art and environmental sustainability by commissioning Emans a 100% eco-friendly work, with the use of Airlite: a special mixture that purifies air by neutralizing pollutants and harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde. On the other hand Vans has given space to the creativity of users by launching an open call to create an illustration with the creative theme of Old Skool. The winners of the selection (and a complete outfit branded Vans) were Federica Guida, together with Beatrice Riva and Matteo Paolo Ambrosini.

Urban Colors

Website: www.urbancolors.it

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