Museion Bolzano Explores Graffiti History in Major Exhibition

Museion in Bolzano, Italy, has opened "Graffiti," a comprehensive exhibition examining the evolution of graffiti from the 1950s to the present. Directed by Bart van der Heide, the show inaugurates a four-year programming focus on gentle and non-violent resistance. Co-curated by Ned Vena and Leonie Radine, the exhibition spans over seventy years, starting with Hedda Stern's 1955 abstract landscape "Untitled" and including early spray paint experiments by Carol Rama, Charlotte Posenenske, and Dan Christensen. It features works by writers like Blade, Zefyr, Seen, Daze, and Quik, alongside international artists Keith Haring and Martin Wong, who helped legitimize graffiti. Post-conceptual artists such as Michael Krebber, Christopher Wool, Karin Sander, and Heike-Karin Föll are also included. A notable piece is "You are trapped on Earth so you will explode" (1983/84) by Jenny Holzer and Lady Pink. The exhibition's second section on the fourth floor transforms the museum into an urban landscape, with installations by N.O. Madski and Kaya, readymades by Klara Lidén, and works by Matias Faldbakken, R.I.P. Germain, Josephine Pryde, and Monica Bonvicini. The show runs through 2025.