Tired of the usual museums? Here are 10 tips for discovering a new side of the city
A sunny afternoon and you don't know where to go? Why not try discovering new places in Milan and admiring beautiful artwork at the same time? Thanks to the large amount of graffiti around the city, this is quite easy. You can find very different works, both in terms of style and message. Of course, most of them play a role in social denunciation and redevelopment, but there are also those created just to be admired. If you are undecided where to start, try following this short list.
AGLI ORTI DELL'ORTICA
Via Ortica
In the Ortica district, this work was created by the Orticanoodles formed by the two Italian artists Willy and Alita. The two artists created this mural as part of a larger project to redevelop the neighbourhood. In particular, the aim is to recall the past by representing the history of the twentieth century, and this particular work is intended to recall the role of the neighbourhood, which was made up of fields. To know more about the project visit the following site.
MUSIC IS A NEVERENDING JOURNEY
Via Trollio
This is also a work by Orticanoodles, created in 2018 for Milano Music Week on commission from Porsche. This immense mural represents a large heart within a constellation, around which all the genres and instruments of the world are represented. Empty spaces were deliberately left to represent the instruments and genres that will be invented in the future. Fun fact: fluorescent paint was used that glows in the dark to represent a real constellation.
ANTHOPOCEANO
Via Giovanni Battista Viotti, 13
This beautiful mural by artist Iena Cruz is located in the Lambrate area. The graffiti, which
represents man's impact on marine ecosystems, was created with Airlite paint, which is a special paint that reduces air pollution.
CUCIMILANO
Via Brembo
The work is created by Zed1 in 2017 on one of the facades of the Madama Hostel. The graffiti represents a seamstress intent on sewing a series of flags with the symbols of Milan. Thanks to the municipality, it was saved, because it was about to be erased to make room for some billboards.
W.A.L.L. - WALLS ARE LOVE'S LIMITS
CityLife
This Eron mural is considered to be one of the largest in the world, being 1000 metres long and, as you can guess from its name, a monument against wall building. It can be found in the park around CityLife
EFEMERO
Via Chiese 2
This graffiti is depicted on the back of Hangar Bicocca, it was created in 2016 by OSMOGEOS. The duo decided to take their cue from the history of the building, a former train locomotive factory, and the nearby railway line. The work recreates the silhouette of an underground car that projects the local context into an imaginary journey.
LOVE SEEKER E HEART SLINGSHOT
Via Morosini 8
The work, undoubtedly one of the best known graffiti in Milan, is located in the Giardino delle Culture and was created by the artist Millo to redevelop the area. The mural is divided into two parts, as it was created on two different buildings next to each other. On one side we can see a child looking for love, on the other side we can see a little girl throwing love with a slingshot. It is a black and white work, where the only splash of colour is the red of the hearts.
MUTEVOLE
Quartiere Bovisa
The protagonists of this mural, created by Elisabetta Mastro, are colour and emotions. Various moods are represented on 25 panels so that people can identify with them. To learn more about the artist's project and to see more of her work, visit her website.
GUCCI ART WALL
Corso Garibaldi, 111
Coming from Piazza Gae Aulenti, you can come across this large wall in Moscova, which houses Gucci's signature murals, that change periodically. Some of the latest artwork has been dedicated to Måneskin, a collaboration with North-face and Marina Abramovich.
TOILETPAPER HEADQUARTERS
Via Balzaretti 4
This mural, located in the Città Studi area, is so modern and colourful that it seems to clash with the neighbouring buildings built in an early 20th century style. On the façade of this building, as it is the headquarters of the magazine founded in 2010 by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari, one can see a famous image of the magazine characterised by the presence of lipsticks and the dominant colour is blue.
This concludes our little guide to street art that can be admired around the city. These are just a few tips to give you a chance to discover these works on one of your walks through the city. We hope you enjoyed the article, let us know what your favourite works are and come back again.
Itinerary Map
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