From Saturday, December 26th, 2026, to Sunday, May 16th, 2027, the Republican Arsenals will host the exhibition "BANKSY and Street Art" a journey through the evolution of Street Art, from Keith Haring's historic insights to the most current artistic expressions.
The exhibition route recounts an unprecedented cultural phenomenon. Within a few decades, urban art has undergone a radical metamorphosis: born as an underground voice, on the fringes and often opposed by institutions, it has transformed into the most influential and shared artistic movement on the planet. Through the selection of works by celebrated street artists active between the end of the last century and our time, the exhibition aims to recount some of the most frequent themes of this movement, capable of breaking down the rules of the art market and anticipating its moves.
L'icona e il fulcro della recensione è, inevitabilmente, Banksy. Il genio di Bristol è ormai da decenni il punto di riferimento assoluto della Street Art mondiale. Le sue opere, provocatorie e apertamente contrarie alle distorsioni del potere, continuano ad alimentare il mito di un artista tanto sfuggente quanto rivoluzionario. L'eredità e l'efficacia comunicativa di Banksy –maestro nel tradurre temi inquietanti in immagini immediate e universali– si riflettono nelle ricerche di altri artisti internazionali in mostra, come Blek le Rat e Mr. Brainwash, nonché nelle riflessioni dei due scrittori italiani TvBoy e Mr. Savethewall.
The exhibition story at the Republican Arsenals is embellished with the masterpieces of two pillars of the international urban scene. The first is Keith Haring. Having risen to prominence in the ’80s with his iconic interventions on the New York subway, Haring codified a universal and instantly recognizable visual alphabet, driven by the profound ideal that art can be an effective tool for transforming society. The second is Shepard Fairey, universally known as Obey. Among the greatest exponents of today's Street Art, Fairey focused his poetics on the pervasiveness of images in consumer society. Aware of how the media educate in a passive reception of visual stimuli, he chose the name “Obey” (obey) just as an ironic and provocative invitation to awaken the critical consciousness of the public.
The exhibition is curated by Daniel Buso and produced by ARTIKA, in synergy with Deodato Arte, in collaboration with the Municipality of Pisa.
For information:
t. +39 351 809 9706
e-mail: mostre@artika.it
