Rome approves absurd exam for street painters

Rome's city council has passed a regulation requiring street painters to pass an exam and obtain a license to sell their work on public streets. The law, proposed by Five Star Movement councilor Andrea Coia and approved on March 9, 2017, aims to distinguish 'true artists' from mere vendors of low-quality prints. However, critics argue the regulation is based on a romanticized 19th-century view of art, excludes other artisans like leatherworkers and photographers, and lacks clear criteria for the exam. The commission that will judge candidates has not been specified. Councilor Eleonora Guadagno, head of the Culture Commission, defended the measure as a way to 'animate the streets' and create a 'diffuse museum.' The law is seen as a populist move that ignores the need for serious contemporary art support, such as funding museums, festivals, and non-profit spaces. The regulation applies to painters, portraitists, and caricaturists, but not to photographers or other craftspeople. Critics, including art critic Helga Marsala, call the initiative embarrassing and counterproductive, as it may increase the proliferation of street vendors rather than curbing abuse.