Smoe's 1,300 sqm Mural in Milan Honors Essential Workers During Covid

In Milan's Certosa district, artist Smoe, alongside writer Mario Jin, is creating 'Necesse,' a 1,300-square-meter mural on a 17-meter-high, 70-meter-long wall in the public park on Via Ludovico di Breme. The project pays tribute to workers who kept society active during the Covid-19 pandemic, including healthcare workers, farm laborers, bicycle riders, supermarket clerks, fishermen, the elderly, and children. Smoe explains that the mural aims to honor the humble and simple, highlighting their value beyond emergencies, and addresses themes such as environmental respect, alienation, volunteering, new technologies, and old age. The work is a collaboration between Smoe Studio, Federico Guastoni of the Comitato Petrarca, and Milan's Municipality 8. It is part of a regeneration initiative for the park that began in 2017. The creative agency IOLO is the main sponsor, funding materials, and the Fondazione di Comunità Milano Onlus has established the Fondo Solidale Necesse to collect support from citizens and businesses. The mural is set to be completed by the end of April 2021 and will be among the largest ever created in Italy.