Sardinia's Muralism: From 1968 Revolution to Street Art Revival
The history of muralism in Sardinia dates back to 1968, when Pinuccio Sciola initiated whitewashing in San Sperate, drawing inspiration from Mexican mural art. In 1973, he partnered with David Alfaro Siqueiros, linking San Sperate with Tepito in Mexico City. The town boasts 188 murals created by various artists, including Elke Reuter and José Zuniga. Dioniso painted the first mural in Orgosolo in 1969, while a significant movement emerged in 1975, led by Francesco del Casino. Other notable locations include Villamar, Serramanna, Tinnura, Burgos, and Sinnai. Although muralism saw a decline by the late 1980s, it experienced a resurgence in the late 1990s. By 2014, Cagliari introduced the 'Galleria del Sale' project. Currently, Sardinia has nearly 2,000 documented murals, with a census still in progress.
Key facts
- Pinuccio Sciola started whitewashing walls in San Sperate in 1968, initiating environmental art in Italy.
- Sciola collaborated with David Alfaro Siqueiros in Mexico in 1973, leading to a twinning between San Sperate and Tepito.
- San Sperate has 188 murals by artists including Elke Reuter, Meiner Jansen, and José Zuniga.
- Orgosolo's first mural was painted in 1969 by the anarchist collective Dioniso.
- Francesco del Casino produced over 100 murals in Orgosolo starting in 1975.
- Villamar has about 50 murals, many by Chilean exiles of the Brigata Salvador Allende.
- Serramanna's mural 'Emigrazione è deportazione' (1979) depicts emigration as cultural expropriation.
- Tinnura has 35 murals for 270 inhabitants, the highest concentration in Sardinia.
- Burgos features a 320-square-meter mural by Toni Amos.
- Sinnai's 'La rinascita' (1964) by Foiso Fois is the first Sardinian mural.
- Giulio Concu declared the end of Sardinian muralism in the late 1980s due to lack of collective purpose.
- Sciola's 'Il Fiume dei Writers' (2008) involved 36 young artists in San Sperate.
- Sassari funded street art projects in 2011-2012 featuring Blu and Ericailcane.
- San Gavino Monreale began mural series in 2013 after Simone Farci's death.
- Cagliari's Galleria del Sale project started in 2014 with artists like Tellas and Crisa.
- Sardinia has nearly 2,000 cataloged murals, with census ongoing.
Entities
Artists
- Pinuccio Sciola
- David Alfaro Siqueiros
- Gerardo Murillo
- Angelo Pilloni
- Foiso Fois
- Liliana Cano
- Gaetano Brundu
- Primo Pantoli
- Giorgio Princivalle
- Giovanni Thermes
- Diego Asproni
- Tonino Casula
- Elke Reuter
- Meiner Jansen
- Otto Melcher
- José Zuniga
- Conrado Dominguez
- Antonio Porru
- Erik Chevalier
- Francesco del Casino
- Pasquale Buesca
- Vincenzo Floris
- Emilio Lussu
- Antonio Gramsci
- Grazia Deledda
- Alan Jofrè
- Uriel Parvex
- Antioco Cotza
- Luigi Pu
- Antonio Ledda
- Nello Putzolu
- Ico Arba
- Samuele Dessì
- Giambattista Loi
- Archimede Scarpa
- Pina Monne
- Fernando Mussone
- Toni Amos
- Gonario di Torres
- Adelasia di Torres
- Enzo di Torres
- Federico Barbarossa
- Leonel Cerrato
- Giulio Concu
- Rosanna Rossi
- Giovanni Farci
- Luciano Lixi
- Aligi Sassu
- Ermanno Leinardi
- Angelo Liberati
- Salvatore Naitza
- Piercarlo Carella
- Blu
- Ericailcane
- Moneyless
- Tellas
- Simone Farci (Skizzo)
- Giorgio Casu
- Crisa
- Andrea Casciu
- La Fille Bertha
- Skan
- Spaik
- Bastardilla
- Don Chisciotte
- Eleonora d'Arborea
- David Bowie
- Gigi Riva
- Andreco
- Zed1
- Kiki Skipi
- Veronica Paretta
- Enea
- Neeva
- Ufoe
- Conan
- Daniele Gregorini
- Manuinvisible
- Roberta Vanali
Institutions
- Brigata Salvador Allende
- Gruppo Arte e Ambiente
- Gruppo artistico di Serramanna
- Urban Center Cagliari
- Galleria del Sale
- Artribune
- Exibart
- Alim(e)ntazione
Locations
- San Sperate
- Italy
- Mexico
- Tepito
- Mexico City
- Orgosolo
- Milan
- Villamar
- Marmilla
- Medio Campidano
- Serramanna
- Cagliari
- Tinnura
- Planargia
- Montresta
- Burgos
- Goceano
- Castello Giudicale di Burgos
- Irgoli
- Oliena
- Nuoro
- Norbello
- Sinnai
- Settimo San Pietro
- Sassari
- Latte Dolce
- Carbonazzi
- San Gavino Monreale
- Su Siccu
- Parco di Molentargius
- via San Saturnino
- Piazza Repubblica
- Sant'Avendrace
- Santa Gilla
- Sardinia