Alba’s Fuoritempo and Canale venues have been enhanced with a new piece of public art. Entitled “I will make my way through a hundred billion stars”, it is a large mural created by the Guerrilla Spam art collective on the exterior walls of the venue – a project conceived as a prelude to Alba’s designation as the Italian Capital of Contemporary Art 2027.
A work dedicated to time
“I will make my way through a hundred billion stars” is displayed on the two outer sides of the building and poetically explores the theme of the passing of time.
On the left-hand side, a figure attempts to reach the sun by following a luminous spiral line – an ancient symbol of the sun’s perpetual motion – towards a red and white sun that shines beyond a portal.
On the opposite side, however, our artificial world is depicted: an intricate labyrinth of cogs and mechanical clocks inspired by the manuscripts of the Arab scientist Al-Jazar, in which engineering and aesthetics sought to replicate the passage of time in nature.
The project was commissioned by Fuoritempo with the support and collaboration of the property owner, Pier Maccagno, and was conceived with the aim of highlighting the role that public art can play even outside major urban centres, enhancing the local area in the run-up to 2027.
Who are the Guerrilla Spam?
The work is by Guerrilla Spam, a collective founded in Florence in 2010 through spontaneous urban poster campaigns and now active in the fields of street art, murals, installations and workshops in Italy and abroad.
Their research focuses on the use of public space as a place for social interaction, carrying out projects in a wide variety of settings: schools, youth communities, prisons, foundations such as Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto and major museums, including the MAMBo in Bologna, the MACRO in Rome and the Archaeological Gallery at the Royal Palace in Turin.
Their visual language blends high and popular culture, East and West, bringing together European rock carvings, African mural art and the avant-garde movements of the 1970s, giving rise to an instantly recognisable style.
The opening ceremony and the conch shell players
The opening took place on 16 June in the presence of local authorities and representatives from the local art and culture scene.
The evening began with an original concert by conch shell players, A performance chosen to reflect the meaning of the artwork: the mural features a cat playing a conch shell, a reference to an ancient Roero tradition linked to the Easter period and the rhythm of life amongst the vineyards.
Afterwards, the guests attended an aperitif and light supper inside the venue, where a temporary exhibition of vintage watches which provided an opportunity to engage directly with the artists.
Photo Gallery
