KRIU Street Art Project Transforms Crotone's Problematic Neighborhoods

The Calabrian city of Crotone, an ancient Greek colony and home to Pythagoras's school, is undergoing urban regeneration through the KRIU – Krotone Identità Urbana project. Conceived by Gulìa Urbana, a street art itinerant review developed by the Rublanum collective, the three-year initiative concluded its first edition with murals by international artists Aches, Kitsune, Kraser, and Piet Rodriguez in the '300 alloggi' and Quartiere Gesù areas. Aches created a sports-themed work involving residents, Kitsune's 'Respirare' honors the South, Kraser depicted Pythagoras based on a Naples museum bust, and Piet Rodriguez reinterpreted Jean-Jacques Bachelier's painting of ancient wrestler Milone. Side events included Back To The Style Calabria, gathering over 25 local street artists to paint the port wall, plus artist talks and performances by Daniel Cundari and Daniele Fabio. Curator Giacomo Marinaro stated that operating in larger cities like Crotone allows the collective to focus on human and urban development, spotlighting neighborhoods with severe urban issues to accelerate solutions.