Forme (utopiche e non) di Museoformazione urbana

Through deliberate monumental mural paintings placement on city neighborhood scale and across urban settlements volumes, or through spaces dedicated to artistic enjoyment creation, urban museum formation process represents an aesthetic transformation of the everyday urban ecosystem inhabited by a community. Involved urban area, typically peripheral and degraded, transitions from a generally low reputational status to an elevated one, driven by the attractive power generated by the presence of curated artist practices. This approach constitutes a large-scale construction of a “symbolic” construction, capable of initiating a community identity formation process, contributing to public happiness through a mechanism where human regeneration fosters urban regeneration. Goal is achieved when the neighborhood becomes, in its residents perception, “their own” open-air museum with this self-representation, validated by the attractiveness that the area generates in terms of visitors. The essay examines several exemplary interventions, highlighting their tangible outcomes and assessing their actual ability to meet expectations and improve residents’ lives.