From ancient Latin taggers to contemporary street artists, Rome has long been home to a broad range of people looking to make their mark on civilisation. The original Romans inscribed declarations of love in stone and, whilst that may now be considered a criminal offense in particular parts of the city, the current administration’s approach to works of real quality is much more liberal. In fact, since Ignazio Marino was handed the baton in 2013, Rome has flourished as a centre of Italian street art – helped in no small part by the mayor’s willingness to bring artists and communities together.
[Image above: REKA (AUS), NATURA MORTA, 2015. SPRAYCAN ON WALL. Courtesy of bigcitylife.it]
[IMAGE: PANTONIO (POR), IL PONENTINO, 2015. ACRYLICS ON WALL. Courtesy of bigcitylife.it]
The latest initiative championed by the city of Rome, is the aptly named Big City Life. The sheer scale of the project has seen the city transform the southern Tor Marancia district into a living, breathing canvas. 18 equally sized walls were selected for artists to make use of, and the phenomenal success of the project has placed this previously unheard of Roman district, well and truly on the map.
[Image: SETH (FR), IL BAMBINO REDENTORE, 2015. ACRYLICS AND SPRAYCAN ON WALL. Courtesy of bigcitylife.it]
Visitors can now take guided tours of the the Big City Life project and see works by international artists such as Seth(FR), Satone (DE), Domenic Romeo (IT), Pantonio (POR) and many more. Particular highlights include the feline faced wrestlers of Jaz (ARG), Jerico’s (Phi) contemporary take on Rome’s very own Sistine Chapel, the multicoloured geometry of Alberonero (IT), and the gigantic, looming, red-veiled face of incendiary artist Ai Weiwei by Matteo Basile(IT). However, the scale of the project is best appreciated by taking in all of these stunning pieces during an afternoon.
Seeing it for yourself
Cheap flights to the city’s Fiumicino airport on Goeuro.co.uk are available from most major cities in the UK. Other journey bus and train journeys are also possible with overnight connections from most major European cities. Coach journeys from the UK are also available but expect to be in your seat for the long haul. Rome’s Blue Hostel or the more luxurious Babuino 181 are both great accommodation options depending on your budget.
