Hanna Lucatelli's Monumental Mural MADRE Reimagines Italian Emigration in Brazil

Hanna Lucatelli (born 1990 in São Paulo) has unveiled a 45-meter-high, 9-meter-wide mural titled MADRE on the facade of the future General Consulate of Italy in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, inaugurated on March 24, 2026. The work shifts the narrative of Italian emigration from patriarchal genealogies to focus on women, specifically mothers who transmit language, memory, habits, faith, and strength. Curator Giulia Lavinia Lupo supported the project, which originated about a year ago with the Consulate General of Italy in Porto Alegre. Lucatelli's practice centers on female presence in urban space, aiming to avoid decorative or passive allegories. In an interview, she explained that the mural emerges from her experience as a young mother and a desire to counter reductive, sexualized images of women in public spaces. She emphasizes street art's political potential, reaching audiences beyond museums with figurative, legible language. The artist gathered community stories and materials, noting that accounts often revolved around men, prompting her to highlight women's cultural transmission. The phrase "Madre della memoria attraverso l'oceano per seminare futuro" is painted on the wall. Lucatelli's work seeks to offer a human presence rather than a predictable celebration, correcting clichés about Italian emigration in southern Brazil, where Italian heritage remains a living part of cultural identity. The article by Antonino La Vela was first published on Artribune.