Street Art Palermo Ballaro | Graffiti | Murale | Mural | Part 1 of 5

Palermo Street Art History

Mural painting, i.e. street art, is a tradition in Palermo, as is "art theft".

A good example is certainly the fresco "Il Trionfo della Morte". This triumph of death dates back to the 15th century.

What used to be called fresco or fresh painting would probably be called urban art, graffiti, murals, or just street art today.

Il Trionfo della Morte depicts Death as an apocalyptic horseman killing his victims with arrows. A visit to Palazzo Abatellis is worthwhile not only, but especially because of this fresco. We found it magnificent. While death has already struck down the clergy and the dogs are raising their chaps, the rest of humanity is still celebrating without a care in the world. Almost like today, isn't it?

But now back to the present:

Diversity

Palermo likes it colorful. Besides graffiti writings, small and large tags, you can find especially Mural, permanent large-scale murals, Stencil / Pochoir, motifs sprayed by means of stencils. From time to time you can also see so-called Cut Out / Paste Up. These are printed or drawn motifs, on paper. These are cut out and attached with glue.

All forms of street art have one thing in common. They polarize. Some people ask themselves, "Is this art or can it go?"

Murals are ephemeral. - After just a few days, many a work of art is painted over, sprayed over or otherwise removed. Sun, wind and weather also contribute to the transience.

But isn't this what makes the works so appealing?

Street Art: Albergheria | Ballaro

Advertising: We have already a little about our vacation apartment Palazzo Vetrano, reported at Ballarò. Therefore, here is our focus.

So where do you start a Palermo street art tour? But the most sensible place is at your own front door?
It is barely 80 meters to the first mural in front of Porta Sant'Agata.

Here is the first of a total of five murals, which belong to the project "Postcards of Ballarò" from 2018. The aim of the project was, on the one hand, the attempt to beautify the old town district Albergheria through street art. On the other hand, it was about entering into a dialogue with the residents of the neighborhood.

We would say that both have been a lasting success. Because the initial skepticism about the murals has now become pride of the residents in their Steet Art.

"Turbo Ballaro" - Fulvio Di Piazza

This work comes from Fulvio Di Piazza, born in Syracuse in 1969. He lives and works today in Palermo. The Murale shows the Ballarò as a whirlpool full of fish. Including whale, moray eel & Co. Of course, tuna and swordfish may not be missing. Because the market of the same name is known for its freshly caught fish. And to see how these two large predatory fish are cut up on site is something special.

A single starfish dances out of line. Whether the artist was influenced by the fish stalls of nearby Ballaro? We think so, but who knows?

"Franco Franchi" -CrazyOne

The murals of Angelo Genova, also known as CrazyOneTheir style is somewhat reminiscent of the Pop Art icon Roy Lichtenstein. CrazyOne comes from the Sicilian city of Caltanissetta. His mural shows Franco Franchi, the pseudonym of Francesco Benenato. The latter was born in the Vicolo Gallo. Thus, only 300 meters from Palazzo Vetrano.

The portrayed Italian actor, comedian, singer and most recently TV presenter is thus not only from Palermo, but is a real child of Ballarò. Certainly the perfect person for the envisioned dialogue with the residents of the working-class neighborhood.

He was born the fourth of eighteen children into a very poor working-class family. He was not even able to complete elementary school. Instead, he worked for his father as a bricklayer.

His parents emigrated, without him, in search of wealth. He stayed in Palermo, first working as a craftsman and making icons of saints. The poverty forced him again and again to small thefts.

Franco was and is certainly a good example of the fact that life, in such a working-class neighborhood, does not make it easy. But it needs just here, also such examples: One of them, who made it to the stars.

In the same corner we discovered more murals during a nightly walk. You can find them further down under Update: 31.10.23

"Faces are places" - Alessandro Bazan

Alessandro Bazan, a native of Palermo is not a typical street artist. He is considered a figurative painter and leader of the so-called school of Palermo. Nevertheless, he created this work at Corso Tukory 199 and thus 600 meters from Pallazo Vetrano.

 "Fides" - Andrea Buglisi

Andrea Buglisi created this image of a hummingbird lifting a boulder. He also comes from Palermo.

Fides, which means "faith, trust," stands for the personification of trust in Roman mythology. A hummingbird, equipped with the right faith, can apparently literally move mountains.

He sees his works as a "privileged trail of irony, a critical message to society, with its conventions and collective neuroses."

He lives and works in Palermo. His works are presented in Italy and abroad:

- Palazzo Riso in Palermo - Museum of Contemporary Art of Sicily

- Mart - Museum of modern and contemporary art, near Trento

- Kiel City Gallery

- Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf

- Venice Biennale etc.

"La Santità? Non serve il bollino della Santa Sede. La santità è un padre di famiglia che si ammazza di lavoro per portare a casa il pane per i suoi figli."

Igor Scalisi Palminteri

"Viva Santa Rosalia" - Igor Scalisi Palminteri

Igor Scalisi Palminteri, also a child of Palermo calls himself - pittore di quartiere - which could be translated as neighborhood painter. In Via dei Benedettini, barely 750 meters from the front door of Palazzo Vetrano, you can find his work of Palermo's patron saint.

Santa Rosalia seems to literally carry the salvation of the residents in her hands, stylized by a skull. Rosalia, in its slightly golden form of representation, reminds us of the mosaics in the churches of the old town.

Igor says of himself that he is attracted to fragile places. He obviously finds enough of them in Palermo.

The above quote means in German "Holiness? You don't need the stamp of the Holy See. Holiness is a family man who kills himself at work to earn bread for his children."

Besides this series of five murals, there are others to discover at Ballaro. There is, for example:

"San Benedetto il Moro" - Igor Scalisi Palminteri

Also a work by Igor Scalisi Palminteri. It shows St. Benedict, the Moor? Yes, you heard right. A monk of African origin who is the patron saint of Palermo. Along with Santa Rosalia, Cristina, Ninfa, Oliva and Agatha, he was named protector and patron of Palermo.

Benedetto Manasseri was born in the town of San Fratello, diocese of Messina, in Sicily, in 1524. Although he could neither read nor write, he was considered an advisor to the nobles and powerful.

Under the mural of the saint is a small soccer field. The children of the neighborhood play on it. Ballaro stands for multiculturalism. Skin color rarely plays a role here. This saint seems to have already made his contribution at that time.

Palermo sometimes seems a little out of time. Therefore, I also stumbled at the designation "il Moro". But it is felt that there is no discussion at all in Sicily about the N-word, black, African or colored. This can certainly not be due to a lack of immigration. Perhaps it is due to the proximity to Africa or to the fact that the Sicilian has understood that we are all more or less "dark-skinned people of African descent".

"Street art is nothing more than urban poetry that draws the eye. - To be a street artist is impossible, because the city itself is the artist..."

C215 - Christian Guémy

"Ora ti passa!" - Igor Scalisi Palminteri

This is the title of this mural on the facade of the Children's Hospital Di Cristina in Piazza Porta Montalto. The work is also by the artist Igor Scalisi Palminteri.

Igor's neighborhood is immense, and he himself is very busy. - His fantastic works can be found all over Palermo and Sicily. From Palazzo Vetrano it is barely 600 meters to this mural.

According to the artist, his mother always repeated the phrase "Ora ti passa!" - "Now it's over" once young Igor was sick.

The mural shows a female doctor with a stethoscope, who has a child sticking a plaster on her forehead. The roles of doctor and patient are reversed.

The artist says about this: "Children can heal us, and we adults have to let them do it...". - Reminds us a bit of the Grönemeyer song "Kinder an die Macht". - What comes to your mind?

"Santa Chiara" - Igor Scalisi Palminteri

Another work by Igor Scalisi Palminteri is located an Piazza Santa Chiara, right next to the Gothic-style church of the same name. The inspiration was a painting by Luca Signorelli from the 15th century.

The artist says about this: "Santa Chiara was a strong and transparent woman like water. Fragile, but also tenacious enough to found a religious order. She has accompanied my spiritual path since I was a boy."

Not only the mural, but also the Chiesa di Santa Chiara is worthy of a look.

The baroque steeple, is an absolute contrast to the otherwise plain facade, whose only decoration is the segmental gable above the portal.

The interior of the church is less simple. Here you can find late baroque decor, a lot of marble, stucco and frescoes.

Esther Zimmer - La Fuerza

This mural at Ballarò raises a few questions. "La Fuerza" means something like "The Force". The person named is very likely to be Esther Miriam Zimmer Lederberg. In this respect, it also fits with the power. After all, the American microbiologist and immunologist is today considered a pioneer in bacterial genetics.

Together with her research group, she was awarded the Nobel Prize. But although she was the driving force, she was not credited with the discovery. She was invited to the award ceremony exclusively as the "wife" of one of the members of the group. Her achievements and name are therefore less well known than those of her first husband, with whom she carried out her prize-winning research.

Although the south of Italy is not exactly known for its progressive attitude to emancipation, in this respect one seems further in Palermo. But who the artist is, or whether it is not much more an artist behind this Murale, is unknown to us. - Who knows more?

Addendum: November 03, 2023

Now we know. This work was created by a female artist. This mural is by the Argentinian tattoo artist Flavia Canapa, who now lives in Berlin. We owe this information to a real insider, Antonio Curcio alias B1. You can find out more about him and his art below. 

"Don't write slogans, write truths."

Joe Strummer

In addition to the large murals, there are more small graffiti at Ballaro. - From time to time it becomes political:

"Sicily is not Italy"

A clear statement. After all, the Sicilian also speaks of the continent when he talks about mainland Italy. But is there more to it than that?

Sicily became part of Italy in 1860 after the "Spedizione dei Mille - Expedition of the Thousand". This popular uprising was led by Giuseppe Garibaldi. Sicily received special status as an autonomous region on May 15, 1946, 18 days before the Italian institutional referendum of 1946. Promised is promised thinks the Sicilian.

B1 - Antonio Curcio

We also find it exciting that the artists seem to understand each other. This sometimes leads to commented pictures, as can be seen at the top right. Here B1 gives his "feedback. The pictures of this artist are not only to be seen in the Ballaro. Often you can find them on terracotta tiles, which he hangs all over Palermo. His works can still be interpreted as subliminally political.

B1 - Antonio Curcio has been communicating with Palermo residents and visitors for many years through his alter ego B1. He himself describes B1's role thus: "B1 dares to say things that I would like to say but don't because I don't have the opportunity or the courage. In fact, he is bold to the extent that I am awkward on the contrary"

In addition to street art, he offers other works of art in a small store, the so-called Studiolo on Corso Vittorio Emanuele 273. This is a real artist's studio.

You could call it urban art to go. In any case, it's worth a visit. We found some exciting works. Especially an exciting type. The artist's motto comes from Germany, of all places:

"Art is not a mirror to hold up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it."

Bertolt Brecht

Yuri "Hopnn" Romagnoli

Whereas B1 has the above-mentioned work of his "colleague" Yuri Romagnoli seems only to comment, the work below is obviously designed hand in hand. Around the Ballarò are several works by Hopnn. They all have in common that the Italian artist does not seem to submit to any fixed style. Except that his favorite colors seem to be red, white and black.

Yuri Romagnoli currently lives and works in Paris. From time to time he tours his old homeland. He seems to have taken a liking to Palermo. What I like about this artist is that he seems to have a soft spot for good food, just like we do. Because some of his works are created under the motto "graffiti per pranzo", which means street art against food. Very likeable.

"I want to go back to the street
Möcht sing again, not beautiful, but horny and loud".

Marius Müller Westernhagen

Demetrio Di Grado 

Although Marius is not exactly known as a hip hop singer, this song line certainly fits well with our next artist. Demetrio Di Grado was born in Palermo in 1976. His works are created in the studio. He literally brings them back to the street.

The former hip hopper has merely exchanged color for voice. His way from hip hop seems to have been an automatism for him "Breathing color was normal". Anyone who deals with street art will always come across this, at least initial connection between hip hop, rap and street art.

Now it is collages that raise the voice for him. These give his pictures a certain retro look.

"People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish...but that's only true if it's done right."

Banksy

"Airhead" - Nouch

The Ballaro also shapes Palermo's street art outside its borders. The Dutch artist Nouch was inspired by him and created the first smog-eating eco-mural in the city. It is located in Viale delle Scienze, on the building 6 of the University of Palermo.

 "My work seeks to celebrate the diversity outside and inside of us through the portrayal of many faces-Fragile ecosystems, like those of Ballarò and other multi-ethnic communities. Ecosystems that the amazing people of this neighborhood preserve every day."

The Airhead, a bizarre balloon-shaped head with delicate and at the same time frightening motifs, is meant to symbolize "playful lightness, as well as the call to "use" the head in the spirit of integration, respect and sustainability.

Supposedly, one square meter of this air-purifying mural has the same environmental impact as one square meter of planted forest. We don't know. But what we do know that it is worth devoting a few minutes of time to this picture. Because you can confidently call it lush. It takes a while to grasp the many details. It reminded us of a kind of rabbit balloon. We especially liked a panicking, clinging bunny on the lower left side. If this balloon is our Earth, then....

Speaking of Airhead, please do not confuse with Air Head. Because the latter is a camping toilet. Airhead is good, so completely different topic.

Incidentally, another work by Nouch is located in the meeting room of the social enterprise Moltivolti, which has been active in the Ballarò district for years.

Update: October 2023

Igor Scalisi Palminteri - This artist from Palermo seems tireless. In recent months, a total of ten works have been created outside Palermo. His latest work "CON PASSIONE" takes us back to the Ballarò. It is about Alessandra, a young woman who has fallen victim to her depression. The depression is symbolized by a black dog.

The artist himself writes about his work: "This black hole can swallow anyone at any time. No one feels excluded. No one can afford to judge a state of fragility, when you feel you can not do it and can not find a reason to get up in the morning. Great artists and ordinary people, people of all social classes and economic conditions have fallen into this black hole. No one has a vaccine to alleviate this suffering."

Update: 31.10.2023

During a nighttime stroll through "our" Ballarò yesterday, we discovered several more murals. They all three seem to exist for some time. But this is the wonderful thing about street art. It catches your eye at some point and does not have the claim to be advertised.

Palermo's street art is and remains international. This Murale is from the Austrian street artist HNRX

HNRX

Fish has always been part of Ballarò. Therefore, this artist has aroused our curiosity. We would like to know more and have written to him. Let's see what comes. But here's what we already got out:

Born in Innsbruck in 1993, he discovered his passion for painting at a young age. As a nomad, he roams Europe, preferably by train. Sustainability is important to him. He has lived in cities such as Vienna, Munich, London, Hamburg, Berlin and Bern.

For him, art means the freedom to do what he loves in a place of his choice. Although he prefers public places instead of a studio for his art, he doesn't consider himself the typical graffiti or street artist. If he had to turn his passion into a job title, he would call himself a street artist.

He especially appreciates concrete as a creative material, including its flaws and unevenness, as these bring out the liveliness he desires in his works. Therefore, he prefers cardboard to canvas, because cardboard, like concrete walls, has a unique structure and tells its own story.

His stage name HeNRy X still comes from his time as a student. But school quickly became too dry for him. His love of learning led him to educate himself on the road by traveling, going out and experimenting instead of sitting in a traditional classroom cramming theory. And it's still that way today.

Although his artistic roots are in stencil art, he has tried many different styles and techniques over time. He realized that cutting stencils was not only laborious but also not spontaneous enough, so he focused on other forms of artistic expression.

Addendum November 05, 2023

It's always amazing how much new or simply previously undiscovered street art you can discover on a stroll through Palermo. Today was another one of those days, a sunny and sunny day.

Antonio Curcio - B1

The works of Antonio Curcio and his alter ego B1 caught our attention today. You could describe him as a street art workaholic.

After our walk through Palermo's old town, we wondered how much we had seen or missed. We can identify with many of his works of art. Some less so, and then there are those that we view extremely critically. His new work "Tears for Palestine" is absolutely too one-sided for us. But this is certainly in keeping with the artist's character. He wants to shake things up and polarizes accordingly.

Snapshot

In today's Street Art contribution No. One was the Ballarò in focus. But more will follow. In the next act we will Murals in the old town quarter Kalsa to take a look at.

This article can only be a personal inventory. Above all, it makes no claim to completeness. But we look forward to more.

Please help us by drawing our attention to new or faded works. This way we will at least preserve one or the other work. Thank you!

Added value - Links

Hello, travelers and connoisseurs! If you are looking for the perfect accommodation in Palermo, we have just the thing for you: Palazzo Vetrano, an exceptional apartment in the heart of the old town. Here you can expect historical charm, modern comfort and an unbeatable location in the Centro Storico.

And that's just the beginning! Dive deeper into the vibrant world of Palermo and discover that the Centro Storico is more than just an ordinary old town. Join us at Mercato di Ballaro, where you can not only find street food, but also taste a piece of Palermo's soul. But beware: Palermo street food can be addictive!

After you've had enough of feasting, let yourself be enchanted by Palermo's street art. Here walls turn into canvases and graffiti into works of art. And if you want to feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins, experience the Targa Florio - a street race that makes Sicily shake! Would you rather discover a small fishing town? - How about Cefalù? - So, discover the diversity of Palermo and Sicily. Start here:

• Palazzo Vetrano - The somewhat different vacation apartment 
• Palermo Centro Storico: More than just an old town?
• Mercato di Ballaro: Palermo's oldest market
• Palermo Street Food:
• Street Art Palermo: Part I or Part II or Part III or Part IV and to round off Part V
• Targa Florio Part I and Part II - THE race
• Cefalù - More than a fishing village
• Madonie - You love Nature, small villages and delicious and local cuisine

And when you want to retire after an exciting day, Palazzo Vetrano awaits you, the perfect vacation apartment in Ballaro, Palermo Old Town. Here you can relax and plan new adventures. Book today and make your dream vacation come true!