Graffiti on Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II: A Missed Opportunity

On the morning of August 8, 2023, unknown writers vandalized the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, one of the city's most iconic and photographed landmarks, with large, incomprehensible tags. The author, a critic and independent curator, argues that this act was a missed opportunity for meaningful communication, contrasting it with the actions of activist groups like Ultima Generazione, who have targeted monuments and museums to raise awareness about climate change. While condemning vandalism, the author distinguishes between mere vandalism and civil disobedience, emphasizing that the latter carries a clear message. The tags are described as a vertical language, unintelligible to outsiders, whereas street art is portrayed as communication and expression that positively impacts public space. The author laments the lack of expressive and critical capacity in such acts, suggesting that the visibility of the location could have been used to highlight pressing contemporary issues. The piece concludes by noting that this incident exemplifies the 'banality of ugliness' afflicting contemporary urban spaces, a concept referenced from Cristiano Seganfreddo's recent book.