28 Nov

Many, many things go on outside the line of site of the average wanderer in Roma.  Be it the surging waters of drains underfeet carrying stormwater to the tiber or the mountains of trash that have collected in Malagrotta far from the historic center, much of what makes Rome work is seemingly invisible.  Yet what about what about the unintended behind the scene actions?  We expect the trashman to pick up the waste, but what about the graffiti artist and a blank wall?

I’d argue that these nighttime vigilante artists have an important role in the backstage of the play we call urban living.  They have the potential to bring out the character of local streets and express the culture of those who live, not just visit, in the city.  Especially in a city so dominated by tourists as Rome, many of the wall art shows another side of Rome, one about the locals and not just about monuments and typical “italian” fare.  These wall murals breath life into the city streets, giving roman artists their own venue of expression outside of Colosseum reproductions.  Now, I’ll admit that not all graffiti is productive – some can be obnoxious and even destructive.  Where walls are used for artist expression – not just as a place to rebel, but a place to rebel in a way that can perhaps gain respect – walls become more than barriers from the outside, they become a breeding ground for culture and a place for a local identity to emerge.