29 April 2024

Someone maybe remember the mural created in 2019 for PonDerat. Let's recap for newcomers. During our first missions to Ventotene, we immediately noticed the extraordinary murals that dotted the island, from the pier to the beach, from the Migration Museum to the façade of the 'Altiero Spinelli' School. They had been created during a street art festival held on the island in those years called: Blueflow. The idea came immediately. We want a mural dedicated to the Shearwaters (and a bit also to our project as well). The result was Arcadio 'Krayon' Pinto's beautiful Scopoli's shearwater, which was very successful and brought a lot of visibility to the project (and with the compliments by the European Commission). Unfortunately, the location (on the beach, very close to the sea), certainly scenic, was also the cause of the work's disappearance after a couple of years. But the appreciation for that work was many. Many people who followed our project came to Ventotene and asked where the mural was and we reluctantly had to say that it was no longer visible. Then, Covid 19 pandemic arrive, and Blueflow festival. stopped. But the idea to make againg a mural deidcated to beloved shearwaeter remained. 

And we come to 2024, when the news reaches us that an attempt is being made to revive Blueflow with an edition that may be reduced in size but still involve renowned artists. We contacted the organiser Marta di Meglio and threw her the challenge of a new mural dedicated to the shearwaters and to our project that work for their protection. Thanks to the support of the State Reserve of the Islands of Ventotene and Santo Stefano, we were able to realise it. The choice this time fell on another great street writer, Daniele Tozzi. We spoke to him on the phone a couple of times and the draft arrived via smartphone. Beautiful! And so, at the end of March, it's back to painting on the beach. The style is different but the sensitivity is the same. This new mural also manages to convey a message of love and respect for these fascinating migratory birds and for the islands that are so important to their journeys. And the logo of the LIFE Programme again stands out on one of the Ventotene murals. 

These days, seeing the school chaperones using the mural as a tool for environmental dissemination is for us the best reward.

Thank you Blueflow, Thank you Daniele.

(Photo by Alessio Castagna)