Roman street artist Alice Pasquini, who you may remember from Dream of Italy’s Rome episode, is the director of the 2019 CVTA’ Street Fest this June in Civitacampomarano in the little-known region of Molise in southern Italy which is the hometown of Alice’s maternal grandfather. It is the result of a loving partnership between the commune of Civitacampomarano and Alice which stems back to 2014. The remnants of past festivals still scatter the town and make for an interesting combination of modern art forms amongst old world charm. The event helps put Molise on the map and introduce the wider public to the wonders of the tiny region.
The 2019 edition of the festival, on from June 13 to 16, will be a manifestation of the street art of five international artists. Milu Correch, an Argentinian artist is known for her larger than life portraits with messages that resonate the world over. Norwegian Martin Whatson turns classic graffiti tags into fascinating patterns in his work.
Under the alias of Add Fuel, Diogo Machado is a Portuguese artist who uses fictional characters in his work and plays on a delicate balance of symmetry, humor and illusions. German Jan Vormann fills spaces with whimsical works made from Legos. In the old town of Civitacampomarano, these bright, colorful pieces will be an eye-catching contrast. The fifth and final spotlight at this year’s CVTA’ Street Fest will be on a group of artists from Italy’s Studio Aira. Often, their works include video, light, sound and interactive elements and are sure to be unlike anything Molise has ever seen before.
In the past, the town of Civitacampomarano has experienced extreme depopulation, leaving the town with only 400 inhabitants, most of which are elderly. The festival breathes fresh air into the town in the month of June when people come, in increasing numbers each year, to see the live painting of the murals and enjoy the ancient town. If you can’t make it to Molise during the month of June to experience the buzzing, vibrant mood of the festival, fear not. After it is over, the artworks will remain permanently on display on the sides of buildings and in public squares. — Danielle Abbazia
Top photo: Alessandro Tricarico/CVTA’ STREET FEST 2018