FAMU Fake Museum Opens in Trieste Suburb, Empowering Residents as Urban Hackers

The FAMU (FAke MUseum) project has launched in the Ponziana district of Trieste, an open-air museum created by local residents through an Urban Exploration and Hacking workshop curated by Invasioni Creative APS. The initiative is part of the Arti Urbane Fest project and the MakersXchange network of European Creative Hubs Network. Previous FAMU editions include FAMU Aurora in Udine (2021) and FAMU Gjirokastra in Albania (2021), with ongoing projects in Turin's Lucento and San Donato neighborhoods and in Pordenone. The Trieste edition is realized in collaboration with UGorA' Urban Gardening Ora, the Microarea di Ponziana, and the Casa delle Culture di Trieste. Curators Giulia Cerrato and Benedetta Giacomello describe the project as a tool for mediazione artistica, using multimedia and urban exploration to build new narratives about urban planning. The project draws inspiration from Franco Basaglia's legacy of community care and dialogue, and from the concept of "urban hackers" as street artists who intervene on public space objects. The FAMU aims to transform perceptions of marginalized areas, encouraging residents to see their neighborhood as unique rather than a ghetto. The project also references the practice of urban gardening, as seen with Ugorà, and the walking practices of H. Fulton and F. Careri. The next FAMU opens on July 13 in Turin's San Donato district, featuring works selected by an urban exploration workshop and a photo exhibition by Lorenzo Attardo.