Tragedia di un artista di strada La pratica della cancellazione da eutanasia artistica ad articidio

This article investigates the role and meaning of practices of erasure in contemporary Italian street art culture. Taking Blu’s choice of cancelling all his graffiti in the city of Bologna as a case study, I will investigate the limits and possibilities of this artistic performance in both political and social terms. Given the antagonist yet dialogic and dynamic relationship that connects street artists, civic institutions and urban spaces, I will argue that practices of erasure are a key component of the particular form of communication occurring among these actors. Through the analysis of #OccupyMordor, one of Blu’s most famous works, I will describe the relationship the author entertained with the city of Bologna highlighting, at the same time, the structural problems raised by institutional museification projects.