A.M.arti

Green artistic paths to celebrate the life of two young activists

A OVERVIEW

“A.M.arti: Green artistic paths to celebrate the lives of two young social activists” is a project by Giosef Italy that aims to celebrate, through sustainable art, the lives of Marta Gianello Guida and Antonio Prisco, two young social activists from the Giosef Italy network who tragically passed away in recent years.
The project involves organizing creative workshops for young people to create two smog-eating murals, depicting the faces of Anto and Marti. The murals will be created using special “anti-smog” sprays and recycled materials connected to their professions and lives.

One of the workshops will take place in Naples (the exact location of the workshop and mural are still being defined, and we will update you on this very soon). We chose Naples because Antonio fought all his life for the city he loved so much. He fought for rights right in the streets of the city, alongside his fellow unionists, riders, and activists. For this reason, we decided to fill one of the walls in Naples with Antonio’s face, to imprint his entire commitment on the streets of the city.
The other workshop will take place in Turin, at Casa Arcobaleno, the headquarters of many associations and groups from the diverse LGBTQIA+ galaxy, but also a place of active and conscious citizenship that fosters meetings and openness with groups and associations that do not belong to this world. The goal is to open up this world to the outside and create openness within their own associative and political dynamics.

The murals will be a “living monument” to the lives of Anto and Marti, a celebration of human rights and the contribution of activists to improving the community’s life. Furthermore, they will help make areas of the city more welcoming and “youth-friendly,” especially those affected by gentrification, such as the area where Casa Arcobaleno is located in Turin, or those suffering from abandonment and decay, like some areas of Naples.

Who were Antonio and Marti?

Antonio Prisco was many things: representative of the Union of University Students, trade union representative for Naples and Italian riders, rugby player, president of the local Naples branch of our Giosef Italy network, and an invaluable friend. However, what best represents him is his motto: “One step back, not even for the run-up.” Because in his short but intense life, despite not coming from an easy economic and social background, he always fought for others without giving in to compromises or easy shortcuts. Over the years, he attracted many people who, inspired by his actions before his words, helped and supported him on his journey and in his battles.
We will never forget the emotional tribute by Maurizio Landini, General Secretary of the CGIL, on the stage of the May 1st concert in 2021: “His contribution was decisive.” His colleagues and comrades in many battles said: “We will miss Antonio, as a companion and as a man, his joy and enthusiasm, his thunderous laugh, his sensitivity and kindness, his courage, his honesty, and his determination.”

Marta Gianello Guida, known to everyone simply as Marti, described herself this way: “Daughter, non-mother. I write, I am a poet. Between feminine and masculine, I tangle. My skin is pink, or white. I fight every day with my privileges and with my oppressions. Between north and south, I am half, in Italy. I don’t believe, but I trust.” Marti presided over the local Giosef Torino branch, formerly Unito, for 5 years. Within the association, she passionately dedicated herself to non-formal education on human rights, specializing in the theme of intersectionality. She inspired several generations of young people who, with Marti, were trained and discovered the fight for social justice from an intersectional perspective.

On Saturday, September 21, 2019, at 6:00 PM, a collective reading took place dedicated to the collection “FarsiDiVersi/RaccontiInVersi” by Marti, poet and feminist.

The works we have created

2 Murals, 1 in Turin and 1 in Naples, to remember the commitment and activism of Antonio Prisco and Marta Gianello Guida.

Mural for Antonio Prisco, Naples

Mural for Marta Gianello Guida, Turin