The exhibition "Hope Around. New York Graffiti," which opened last July at the Foro Boario as part of the twenty-seventh Dromos festival, closes its doors on Sunday (January 11) in Oristano. Curated by art critic and educator Fabiola Naldi, the exhibition offers a compelling visual exploration of American graffiti art through forty-two canvases from the private collection of Pietro Molinas Balata, presented here for the first time in public. These works, by some of the most influential graffiti artists, recount an era of intense urban creativity and demonstrate the cultural and artistic impact of a visual language that transformed the aesthetics of cities.
Preceding the final day, tomorrow evening (Saturday, January 10th), the last of a series of events will be held alongside the exhibition, promoted by the Centro Italo Arabo as part of the "Muros de Arte" event, with contributions from the Department of Education, Cultural Heritage, Information, Entertainment, and Sport of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia and the Fondazione di Sardegna. The event begins at 7:00 PM with the presentation of the book "Presente Continuo," produced with the support of CP, Company by Ivano Atzori, aka Dumbo, a multifaceted artist among the protagonists who have redefined the boundaries between underground and establishment, fashion and counterculture. With over three hundred and fifty pages of photographs and texts, "Presente Continuo" explores Atzori's transversal identity, his personal journey, and his creative trajectory through diverse contributions from figures who have intersected with his experience. In conversation with him is Davide Giannella, an independent curator active in contemporary art and visual culture.
From 9 pm, music takes center stage at the Foro Boario: the live set by DJ Gruff (aka Sandro Orrù), a pioneer of old-school Italian hip-hop, is already sold out. He's known for his original reinterpretations of scratch and rap techniques, and has been active since 1982. He co-founded Sangue Misto, with whom he released the album "SxM," considered a milestone in Italian hip-hop. His meeting with trombonist Gianluca Petrella in 2014 sparked a successful and enduring artistic partnership that explores an experimental vision where rap, hip-hop, scratch, and jazz meet. DJ Gruff's live set on Saturday night in Oristano will be introduced and then capped off by Padrino's musical selection: a selection conceived as a continuous flow, capable of interacting with the overall experience of the event. DJ, selector and sound researcher, active since the late 90s, Padrino comes from the Sassari scene.
For these final days, the Hope Around exhibition is open at the Foro Boario from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Organized by the Dromos cultural association and the Municipality of Oristano, with the support of the Regional Department of Education, Cultural Heritage, Information, Entertainment and Sport, the Regional Department of Tourism, Crafts and Commerce, the Ministry of Culture, the Fondazione di Sardegna, and the Fondazione Oristano.