At the beginning of July, as summer crescendoed into its critical mass of long days bursting with life, residents, visitors, and artists in Acquapendente, Italy gathered for the fourth edition of UV Collective’s Urban Vision Festival. The event, hosted in this agriculturally-minded city situated in the northern region of Viterbo, has hosted an esteemed roster of international artists including Fintan Magee, Bosoletti, and Helen Bur over the course of its existence. This year, Serbian street artist Artez joined their ranks, offering his take on the Feast of The Madonna del Fiore, which the Museo del Fiore calls “the most important traditional celebration of the Acquesian territory.”
According to a statement by the artist, his mural titled ‘Preparing for Pugnaloni’ draws inspiration from “the large mosaics of flowers and leaves (2.6m wide and 3.6m in height), called ‘Pugnaloni’, that are made in honor of the Madonna del Fiore, which is celebrated every year on the third Sunday of May. This ancient tradition dates back to 1166. and the time when people of Acquapendente rebelled against tyranny. Nowadays, more than eight centuries later, hundreds of people divided in teams gather every year in order to keep the tradition alive and compete in creating the most beautiful Pugnaloni!”
The woman Artez depicts to embody the spirit of this tradition expertly portrays the participants’ friendly fervor. The Museo Del Fiore writes that preparation for the event “begins more than a month before the big day when, with great vitality, in the workshops where the artists have prepared their new sketches, the young people of the fifteen city groups begin the realization of the works. The morning of the party, among the groups, one senses a healthy atmosphere of competition.” Here, she sits, surrounded by flowers, protectively pulling one to her breast while throwing an energetic, yet rather suspicious sidelong glance. Her dark locks are pulled into a neat bun on top of her head. She is ready to begin.
This subject matter suits the artist’s signature style, which often includes plant life and women in states of contemplation, mulling over the idea of action. His dreamy, illustrative manner of painting compliments the space itself, a medium-sized wall situated above a smattering of natural growth.
Chiara, of the UV Collective staff, notes that Urban Vision festival “promotes art in all its forms, from the performance of Permanent Street Art to Video Mapping, from Experimental Sound to Photography, from Theater to Painting and Sculpture, all accompanied by Street Food and framed in a historic setting.” In March 2019, Art Vibes also wrote that the festival focuses on “integrating art with the daily life of the village , triggering a spark of wonder capable of surprising and surprising.” As a result, “the timeless charm of an ancient village is [infused] with new and innovative creative forms, a melting-pot that opens up new cultural horizons for all visitors who decide to make a stop in Acquapendente.” This latest mural by Artez finds a perfect fit of a home in the Italian town where nature is tradition, and occasionally, even competition.
Artez: website | facebook | instagram
Urban Vision Festival: facebook | instagram
