Blood Artists: Street art campaign in Sardinia raises awareness for blood donation

Novartis has launched Blood Artists, a street art project in Sardinia to raise awareness about thalassemia and sickle cell disease, which require regular blood transfusions. Three street artists—Coquelicot Mafille, Stefania Marchetto (SteReal), and Napal—created murals inspired by the stories of three patients. The project is curated by Alessandro Paolo Mantovani of STRADEDARTS Urban Gallery 1988 Milano. Sardinia has the highest rate of hemoglobinopathies in Italy, with about 1,600 thalassemia patients, 1,000 of whom are transfusion-dependent. The campaign involves Avis, Fondazione Italiana "Leonardo Giambrone", UNIAMO, United Onlus, SITE, and Fondazione For Anemia. The murals depict patients' experiences: Costanza (Coquelicot Mafille), Giorgio Pio (SteReal), and Annarita and her family (Napal). The initiative aims to encourage blood donation, especially among youth, and is promoted via Instagram @blood.artists.