The symbol of Pisa has always been the famous Leaning Tower overlooking the beautiful Piazza dei Miracoli. As well as the bell tower of the Santa Maria Assunta cathedral, though, this city offers many other cultural treasures. Contemporary art in Pisa has had a hugely transformative effect on entire neighbourhoods, giving lovers of street art a great way to explore the city. Here are the main works not to be missed.
Street art in Pisa: 5 artists to discover
The history of Pisa hints to an ancient legend according to which it was founded by some Greek refugees who came from the Greek city of the same name, which was destroyed in the sixth century BC. This Tuscan city has always attracted artists and travellers from all over the world seeking just the right inspiration. Among such artists is the great American genius Keith Haring, who fell so much in love with this city that he dedicated one of his most beautiful masterpieces to it. Many other Italian artists have enriched the city by creating works of urban art to fall in love with at first sight. Here are 5 artists worth discovering.
Keith Haring in Pisa
Keith Haring chose to visit Pisa thanks to his friendship with a Tuscan man he met in New York. When he arrived in Italy to visit his friend, he was immediately dazzled by the authentic beauty of this place and decided to spend a few days here. Tuttomondo is an utterly beautiful mural. Completed in just four days, it occupies a large wall of the Sant’Antonio church and represents an ode to happiness and love for life that still enchants travellers from all over the world. The mural occupies an area of 180 square metres (2000 square foot) and is made up of 30 interlinked figures representing peace and harmony.
Blub in Pisa
Contemporary art is found in every corner of Pisa, even some seemingly less obvious corners. Blub’s works, scattered across the city, are one such example. If we were to give you one piece of advice it would be to look closely wherever you go, ready to grasp any treasure that may suddenly appear before your very eyes. The artist has created some small masterpieces as part of the project L’Arte Sa Nuotare (Art Has Learnt to Swim), which consists of a series of drawings in which famous figures from the world of art wear diving masks. The Tuscan artist uses the state of being “in deep water” to symbolise the condition in which contemporary humans are forced to live, having to learn to “sink or swim”.
Exit Enter in Pisa
Walking along the Lungarno, past the Madonna della Spina church, in the direction of the Palazzo Blu, you can spot the stylised figures of the artist Exit Enter in the alleys. His poetic characters convey a minimalist message of love and freedom, whilst also being quite intense. They are very popular among fans of street art.
Ozmo in Pisa
In addition to the works already mentioned, Pisa also offers masterpieces by famous street artists who have taken part in the Welcome to Pisa Festival! This initiative dedicated to the development of urban art brings new street art to the city, involving several neighbourhoods at different times. Among the works created in recent years is the Ozmo homage to the genius of Galileo Galilei, in Via Conte Fazio. This huge image in profile of the master is framed at the bottom by the instruments he used to study the sky, particularly the telescope, which was invented by the scientist. The mural is an important tribute to the famous scholar and his hometown.
Moneyless in Pisa
Contemporary art in Pisa has changed the face of the hydraulic police depot in the Porta a Mare district, through the work Pisa 01 created by Moneyless as part of the Welcome to Pisa Festival. This site-specific work is a perfectly balanced jubilant display of colour. Red and white are reminiscent of the city flag and the shipbuilding industry, the blue wave encroaching on the black recalls the water and sea of the nearby coast, while yellow represents the sun and summer. The inimitable style of Moneyless is once again well recognisable and has given Pisa a new masterpiece to showcase with pride.
