Artists Remember the Bologna Massacre Through Commemorative Works

On August 2, 1980, a bomb at Bologna Centrale station killed 85 and wounded over 200, marking Italy's deadliest postwar terrorist attack. Perpetrators were arrested but masterminds never identified. To mark the 36th anniversary, Artribune compiled a gallery of artworks memorializing the event. Sonia Lenzi created 'Avrei potuto essere io' (2015) at the station entrance, also issued as a limited edition of 85 portable monuments. Francesco Arena's 'Senza Titolo (Bologna)' (2011) is a marble plaque listing victims' names, shown at the Premio Furla. Renato Guttuso's historic L'Espresso cover responded immediately after the attack. Luca Vitone's 'Souvenir d'Italie – (lumières)' (2014) featured a Masonic P2 symbol on a bridge over the tracks, sparking controversy. In 2016, duo Antonello Ghezzi installed 'Confonderti' with broken mirrors inscribed with names and data from the victims' families' digital archive. An annual national music competition selects works and commissions a commemorative image from an artist.