Great international urban art returns to colour the walls of Lecce’s 167B district: Medianeras

MEDIANERAS & new mural in the 167B district (Stadio neighbourhood) of Lecce

A new monumental mural, the tenth, brings life and colour to the streets of Lecce’s suburbs.

Two human figures intertwining their features, mixing shapes and thoughts, all on a highly visible building facade surrounded by urban greenery and the cycle path.
This is the idea conceived and painted by the Argentine artists based in Spain, Medianeras (Vanesa Galdeano and Analí Chanquía), who from 19 to 26 September were welcome guests of the Lecce neighbourhood, busy painting the design and surrounded as always by the curiosity and hospitality of the residents.

A week in which at least three different languages mixed at the foot of the building. Days that turned smiles into questions and curiosity from the children in the streets, stimulated by shapes and colours and ready to fight for a more beautiful and colourful neighbourhood.

The work, the tenth in the neighbourhood since 2017, wanted and donated by SOROPTIMIST CLUB LECCE for the centenary of the founding of Soroptimist International, is once again the result of the collaboration between the 167B Street workshop, the San Giovanni Battista Parish and Arca Sud Salento.

The mural comes from an idea by Alessia Ferreri, president of Soroptimist Club Lecce, an association of women always at the service of the Lecce and Salento community, which chose urban art to send a message valuing difference and non discrimination between genders, while leaving the city a concrete and visible call to promote equal opportunities and gender equality, involving two international women artists in the project.

Since 2017, thanks to a grassroots agreement between the 167b street workshop, based in the neighbourhood and promoting the culture of new muralism around the world for over ten years, the San Giovanni Battista Parish in the person of Don Gerardo Ippolito, a tireless social and cultural activist in love with the neighbourhood and its social dynamics, and Arca Sud Salento, which from the start welcomed the idea that the neighbourhood could become an open air art site, nine monumental murals have been painted on as many building facades, along with many smaller art works, meetings, conferences, workshops, exhibitions and presentations, turning this suburban neighbourhood of Lecce into a constantly evolving art and social laboratory.

Soroptimist International is a worldwide association of highly qualified professional women from different professions, which encourages internal debate and a broad, diverse circulation of ideas, leading to effective projects and services. Through concrete actions, the promotion of human rights, the promotion of women’s potential and support for the advancement of women, acceptance of diversity and the creation of opportunities to transform women’s lives through its global network of members and international cooperation, it carries out services and concrete projects at national and international level to promote human rights for all, world peace and international goodwill, transparency and democratic decision making, volunteering, acceptance of diversity and friendship.

The idea of valuing gender difference and equal opportunities met the needs and values of the neighbourhood: the 167b Street team was created and is run, among others, by the manager and cultural worker Ania Kitlas, always committed to dialogue with the women of the neighbourhood, the true social engine of the suburbs.

Over the years the walls of the 167 b area have hosted works by artists such as Millo, Mantra, Chekos’Art, Dado, Etnik, Sabotaje Al Montaje and Dimitris Taxis, always with a view to real integration with the residents and respect for the needs of those who live there.

Vanesa Galdeano and Analí Chanquía have been creating art in public space for over fourteen years. Brought together by shared interests in urban space and public art, they started working together about eight years ago. They created a unifying project called MEDIANERAS to expand and connect their work. They believe public art does not just beautify cities but offers a shared space that brings individuals and communities together. Through public art they want to alter the urban landscape and change the way we usually perceive spaces. From this comes the need to travel, tour cities and work in urban contexts around the world. So far they have created public art together in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Australia, Uruguay, Belgium, Canada and France.

Project partners: Municipality of Lecce, Caparol Italia, Cacciatore House srl, Salento Crane Logistic

Press office: Ennio Ciotta 3281475784

Contacts: 167b street  anna.kitlas@streetartsouthitaly

PHOTO CREDITS: GIORGIO COEN CAGLI

Discover more: Urban regeneration through art · Participatory art