Milan Metro M4's Art4 Call: No Budget, No Curators, Just Decoration

Milan's new Metro Line M4, a €1.94 billion project connecting east to southwest with an estimated 86 million passengers annually, has launched 'Arte4', a call for artistic interventions in its stations—but with zero budget. The initiative, announced months before the first segment's inauguration (Linate-Forlanini, spring 2021), invites private citizens, companies, foundations, and institutions to propose permanent or temporary artworks for platforms, transit zones, and stairwells, entirely at their own expense. Critics argue the approach reduces public art to mere decoration, lacking a coherent curatorial vision, professional jury, or integration with architects and engineers. The call specifies no selection criteria, thematic framework, or named curators, architects, or critics. This contrasts with Naples' 1990s metro art program under Antonio Bassolino, which set a high standard. Milan's own ArtLine at CityLife park demonstrates successful public art, but M4 risks inconsistency and amateurism. The article, by Helga Marsala on Artribune, laments the missed opportunity for meaningful, site-specific art in a major European city's infrastructure.