La Spezia artists protest cultural decay with collective artwork on December 14

On December 14, 2024, artists and citizens in La Spezia will stage a collective artistic protest against the city's cultural decline. The demonstration, proposed by lawyer and artist Luca Benedetto, centers on the neglected Casa Torre, a medieval tower under state protection but left in disrepair with rusted scaffolding, moisture damage, and an overgrown garden used as an illegal dump. Protesters also decry the absence of a dedicated culture assessor for eight years, despite the city's bid to become Italian Capital of Culture 2027. Additional demands include the return of Sergio Tedoldi's statue from storage, restoration of the Palco della Musica, reopening of futurist mosaics at the Palazzo delle Poste, and revival of the Premio Golfo dei Poeti, a historic art prize founded by Filippo Marinetti in 1933. The flash mob will create a collective painting on canvas, signed by participants, and delivered to the mayor alongside a petition. Participating artists include Sergio Tedoldi, Pietro Bellani, Nicola Perucca, and Beppe Mecconi. Organizers also seek a public space for artist workshops and exhibitions, citing a former convent of the Clarisse as a potential venue.