The state of (outdoor) art
Round tables on free expression and professionalism between art and public spaces
The published program may still be subject to changes depending on the final confirmation of speakers' participation.
Street art and public space
From freedom of expression to probation?
Morning | 10.00 > 13.00
Thematic framework
Street art is the life and color of cities. It’s joy. It’s music, theater, dance, circus. It marks the rhythm of daily life. It combines freedom of expression with artistic training. It can be a simple desire for communication, but it can also transform and evolve into a profession. How much of all this is present in the awareness of artists, the public, and administrators?
In an urban context, street art occupies a public space, a place shared by everyone, where every performance can become an opportunity for encounter and dialogue. Public space is not just a backdrop, but a place of active participation, where every individual can become both spectator and actor. The art that takes place in squares, streets, and parks creates a deep connection between culture and the community, fostering a culture that is shared, that belongs to everyone, and that is enriched by collective meanings.
With this second meeting, we felt it necessary to further broaden our vision and discuss the theme "The State of the Art," reflecting on how street art is an inclusive practice that, through participation, contributes to making culture accessible to all, and how art in public space can push artists to create art specifically for those spaces, outlining new frontiers and new professions.
Professionalism and public space
Creativity, supply chain, mobility and market access.
Afternoon | 14.30 > 17.30
Thematic framework
The survival of the Italian system, in the field of production and distribution of live performing arts, is built around the passionate tenacity with which artists have faced the reality of concrete economic opportunities. This is still the reason why we are paying for a heavy legacy, in terms of the “garage” mentality of artistic production. The current context forces artists to consider themselves entrepreneurs, responsible for taking on a plurality of roles and skills that ends up weakening the artistic propulsion itself. This is also one of the reasons for the wicked penetration of national art products in the international market. The art of "getting by", balanced between professionalism and indulgence in accepting to do undeclared work, is a path of freedom only in appearance. Outdoor Arts Italia is convinced that the growth of an entire cultural system can only be achieved by accepting together the challenge of understanding, interpreting and reinventing it.
For this mission, recognized rights, platforms and operational tools already exist in Italy. There is a lack of widespread knowledge of how to do it, who is part of this chain and where to direct efforts to get to the destination together. And there is also a lack of awareness that good and bad practices exist everywhere, but that it is only by comparing and recognizing them that the artists can give full dignity to their work.
