THE INAUGURATION WILL TAKE PLACE ON DECEMBER, 17 AT 11:00 AM IN VIA RONCHI INFERIORE 7 (MINERBIO – BOLOGNA)
Street artist Laika is back to confront the theme of migrants with the work A New Dawn, a 150-square-meter monumental mural created in Minerbio (Bologna), thanks to the support of Renner Italia and CNOS-FAP Castel de’ Britti. The work, which will be inaugurated on Dec. 17, depicts a man and a woman at sea, wearing life jackets, while behind them the sun rises, a symbol of a dawn of hope.
Above, are heartbreaking lines from Moroccan poet Tahar Ben Jelloun’s poem At dawn the pain is exhausted:
At dawn the pain is exhausted
The body abandons itself on the damp earth.
Slowly from the wound the sun rises
While the night has already taken off on a lifeboat of fortune….
«At a time marked by a dramatic retreat from human rights, with Italy further hampering the work of NGOs with the flows decree and an increasingly closed and xenophobic Europe turning its back on those fleeing war, hunger and persecution, this work becomes a visual cry against indifference,” Laika says. « The provisional figure for 2024 speaks of about 1,500 migrants dead or missing in the Mediterranean. Survival often means facing deportations – such as the controversial centers in Albania, now empty – clandestinity, marginalization and a daily struggle to obtain what should be guaranteed to all: a life of dignity. ».
A New Dawn is a tribute to all those who put their lives at risk on migration routes to seek a better future. For this work, the artist has a special dedication: «I dedicate this mural to Yasmine, the 11-year-old girl, the only survivor of yet another shipwreck, who remained alone three days at sea before being rescued, and to all the NGOs, who save hundreds of lives at sea every day.».
Renner Italia, a leading coatings manufacturer, and CNOS-FAP Castel de’ Britti together have created a concrete path of training and job integration for refugees. In addition to apprenticeship contracts with prospects for job stability, the project guarantees decent housing solutions, promoting true social inclusion.
Lindo Aldrovandi
«Our housing welfare project takes a pragmatic approach», explains Lindo Aldrovandi, CEO of Renner Italia. «Today, Italian companies are struggling to secure workers. On the other hand, there are people fleeing wars and poverty. These are asking for the chance to work and have a decent life. Just put two and two together. If Italian industry wants to hold up, we must stop thinking of immigration as an emergency, because it is an opportunity. Laika’s beautiful work further emphasizes this urgency to change perspective. ».
Carlo Caleffi
On Monday, Dec. 16, on the eve of the inauguration, the Roman street artist will be the guest of CNOS-FAP Castel de’ Britti for a performance together with students, dedicated to the themes of welcome and integration. «As Salesiani Cnos-Fap, we have at heart the human and professional formation of young people -, explains Carlo Caleffi, Director of Opera Salesiana and Cnos-fap of Castel de Britti – so that they can realize life projects and become happy adults. A new dawn means for us a new model of labor and social inclusion ».