The POLI Urban Colors Project at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy marks the 500th anniversary of Leonardo Da Vinci’s death. This special project features work by 2501, Luca Barcellona, Rancy and Zedz. Alongside these internationally recognized artists, 20 specially selected Politecnico students were given the opportunity to assist them, and encouraged to create either a personal or collective work.
The artists have dedicated numerous tributes and quotes around the campus to the universal genius of the Renaissance. Da Vinci’s paintings and drawings, thoughts and teachings have been reinterpreted and contextualized in many of the project’s works, in dialogue with the visual identity and cultural horizon of the academic environment.
Luca Barcellona, undoubtedly one of the most respected calligraphers on the international scene, interprets a blunt and disarming quote into his work for the project: “We are all exiles within the frames of a strange picture. Whoever knows this, will live well. The others are insects.” – Leonardo Da Vinci
Luca’s work offers an opportunity for deep reflection, reminding himself and any observer of the importance of being aware of one’s own role and talent, and honoring that.
The writing style used is a sum of Luca’s personal experiences within the limitless framework of letters: classical forms of majestic capitals deformed by graffiti artists dedicated to the study of more extreme interlocking. He also pays homage to the dry and decisive strokes of the Italian movie poster designers of the 1970s.
Rancy’s work, “Divina Proportione” alludes to one of the illustrations that Leonardo created for Fra’ Luca Pacioli’s book. The empty icosahedron, which reflects perfection and divine harmony, seems illuminated and three-dimensional. “A Casing Evoking Man” contains three spheres painted in primary colors – green for the mind, blue for the soul, red for the spirit – seems to emerge from the artist’s tag patterns, evoking a composition between the Hartmann and Curry grids used in bio-architecture and ancient buildings.
Inspired by various approaches to graphic font design and lettering, 2501 created “Top Bottom (slash) Fake Font Design.” Painted in his distinctive style, the alphabetical signs come apart and develop in the pictorial space in a process of reacting to the architecture and context. The work, shaping the wall with rhythm and impressions of movement, offers the observer new paths for vision and imagination.
The “Geometric Abstract Space” piece, created by Dutch urban artist Zedz, is a reflection on architecture and industrial progress expressed and painted on a flat surface in public space. The imposing mural from this multidisciplinary artist and designer aims to make the passerby and spectator an integral part of the work of art itself.
The POLI Urban Colors Project was curated by Luca Mayr and Andrea Gasparro in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano. Sponsors to the project include City of Milan and Municipality 9, along with Just Eat, an organisation dedicated to to reducing food waste. A QR code on the mural enables visitors to discover Ristorante Solidale, which together with Caritas, support communities and families through food donations and surpluses from partner restaurants. Color Expert (a leading Italian building material supplier) partnered up with The POLI Urban Colors Project as technical sponsor, providing the crucial paint and tools to create these magnificent works.
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