Fulvio Pinna: The Only Italian to Paint the Berlin Wall

Fulvio Pinna, a Sardinian painter and sculptor born in 1948, is the only Italian artist to have painted on the Berlin Wall. Inspired by freedom and equality, he traveled to Berlin in 1987 to witness the wall firsthand. In 1990, he was among the first three artists to paint on the remaining sections of the Wall, creating a mural titled "Inno alla Gioia" (Ode to Joy) on the East Side Gallery. His work features a siren symbolizing freedom, with references to Dante's Inferno and Beethoven's Ode to Joy, and includes a poem by the artist. The mural is located at the most visible spot near Oberbaum Bridge. Pinna's effort caused a kidney infection requiring surgery. He still lives in Berlin, runs a gallery near Zoologischer Garten, and has exhibited widely, including at Palazzo Thun in Trento. His works are also displayed in Matera, and he has upcoming exhibitions in Rome, Milan, Paris, Berlin, Geneva, Japan, New York, Korea, and China.