Ratatà Festival: Macerata's Underground Art Invasion

The third edition of Ratatà Festival took place in Macerata, Italy, from April 14 to 17, 2016, transforming the city into a hub for independent publishing, illustration, comics, and street art. Born from a social center's initiative, the festival has grown through crowdfunding and local partnerships, attracting international artists and audiences. Highlights included the first Italian retrospective of Croatian underground artist Igor Hofbauer, known for his work at Zagreb's Club Močvara and Belgrade's NOVO DOBA festival; French screen printer Blexbolex, whose colorful works have won multiple awards; Italian cartoonist Riccardo Mannelli, contributor to La Repubblica and Il Fatto Quotidiano; and Elzo Durt, graphic communication manager at Recyclart in Brussels. The festival also added new murals by Hitnes, Lui Gig, Andrea Casciu, Geometric Bang, and Patrizia Mastrapasqua, expanding the public art itinerary started by POP UP! festival, which now includes 24 works by international artists across the Marche region. Ratatà featured exhibitions, workshops, concerts, a market of illustrations and independent comics, and a mural walk, engaging a diverse audience. The event underscores the vitality of underground culture that has evolved from self-managed spaces into a recognized artistic force, maintaining independence while gaining institutional interest.