No Ball Games' 70 Chiodi: A Participatory Art Happening in Milan

On May 17, 2025, the independent space Spazio Verso in Milan's Chinatown (Via Paolo Sarpi 42) hosted '70 Chiodi,' an open-call exhibition organized by the No Ball Games movement led by Enrico Rassu. The event rejected traditional selection processes—no applications, fees, or algorithms—inviting artists to hang their works on 70 nails. Participants included emerging and established artists, designers, illustrators, and performers, who installed their pieces in real time, creating a collective happening documented by photographers and videomakers. The movement, named after a British sign banning ball games in London housing estates, aims to counter the repression of expression and instinct. Rassu, along with author Greta Scarselli and musician Lvnar (Marco Ferrario), founded the collective to provide a space for free expression without gatekeeping. However, a planned sound system and performances in the basement were shut down by Milan authorities, highlighting regulatory challenges. Despite this, the 70 artworks remained installed overnight, symbolizing the movement's resilience. The event underscored generational frustrations with the art market's reliance on social visibility and networks, asserting that art should come before the artist.