The Return Of The Roman Youth
The sculpture disappeared from Italy sometime after 1944…
The Return Of The Roman Youth
The marble bust of a Roman youth unearthed in the 1930s in the city of Fondi between Rome and Naples was returned to Italy this week for the first time since it was smuggled out of the country nearly 50 years ago.
The sculpture disappeared from Italy sometime between 1944 and the early 1960s and has been returned to the Italian Ministry of Culture in a ceremony at the German ambassador's residence early in June. With centuries of art and artifacts strewn all over Italy, various pieces have been lost over the years to thieves, traffickers and natural disasters.
The statue, which dates from the second century AD and depicts the head and part of the shoulders of a young man, has spent the past 55 years in the University of Munster's Archaeological Museum, whose then director received it from a private owner.
Germany offered to return it without being asked, according to Italy's culture minister Alberto Bonisoli who called the action “a highly symbolic act.”
However, owners of stolen artwork aren't always as willing to return them. Among the most notable disputes is Italy's dispute with the Getty Museum in the United States over the Statue of a Victorious Youth which the American gallery refuses to return despite a ruling by Italy's highest court that it was removed from Italy illegally.
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Fighting Fascism With Food
In Verona, foodie and street artist Pier Paolo Spinazzи has created a solution to hate propaganda…
Fighting Fascism With Food
The country that brought the world mozzarella cheese is also the birthplace to Mussolini’s fascism in the early 20th century. Neo-fascists still thrive in Italy today while using symbols of the past, including the Nazi Party swastika, to promote hate. In Verona, foodie and street artist, Pier Paolo Spinazzè, has created a solution to hate propaganda that has been on the rise by combining his longtime passions for food and art.
His subversive street art transforms divisive messages into culturally appropriate art almost everyone can get behind. Known as “Cibo,” which means food in Italian, he systematically covers swastikas and hate speech in Verona with paintings of food.
He, like the neo-fascists, repeats symbols with his work becoming so well-known that followers inform him whenever there is a new sighting of Neo-fascist graffitti.
For Spinazzè, even the most recognizable Italian dishes symbolize unity through diversity. For instance, A caprese salad of mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, & olive oil is an international project and a “message that cuisine is open to the world,” he says. “The basil comes from India, the oil from Syria, the mozzarella is Italian, and tomatoes originate in Colombia.”
Cibo’s street art is admired for its style and the substantive underpinnings. On his Facebook page, a fan recently wrote, “You are a hero.”
We hope you’ve enjoyed Fighting Fascism With Food! What are your thoughts on Cibo’s attempts to fight the rise of Neo-fascist graffiti? Join the conversation below!