A work of ‘street art’ dresses an entire 72-metre urban tunnel to celebrate the strength of women in situations of oppression, deprivation and emergency to represent their path to rebirth. The initiative, entitled ‘Almas: Voices of Courage’, is promoted by the CESVI Foundation, in collaboration with Atelier Spazio Xpò, and with the patronage of Milan’s Municipality 2, in the context of Milan Design Week with the aim of turning the spotlight on the condition of women in contexts characterised by violence and poverty or affected by crisis, such as Venezuela and Colombia, countries affected by a strong flow of migrants and a serious socio-economic crisis. The protagonists of the initiative are Venezuelan migrant women in Colombia, and Colombian women in a state of vulnerability, beneficiaries of the ALMAS project, implemented by CESVI in Colombia and financed by the Italian Cooperation (AICS).
The artistic work – visible from 7 April and included in the calendar of the Fuorisalone.it guide – was created in the multicultural district of NoLo, in the context of Tunnel Reload (via Padova, 89-91), by the master stencil artist, architect and philanthropist Pablo Pinxit, belonging to the creative factory Spaghetti Boost, with the contribution of AICS. The initiative, promoted by CESVI in partnership with Atelier Spazio Xpò, has obtained the patronage of Milan’s Municipality 2 and is organised in collaboration with local institutions such as: the Department for Decentralisation, Neighbourhoods and Participation, Civic and General Services, the Department for Culture, and the ‘Art in Public Spaces’ Office. The curatorship is by Christian Gancitano for the association Atelier Spazio Xpò, within the framework of the ‘Tunnel Boulevard’ collaboration pact.
‘Through this work, we want to give voice to the women who, with determination and resilience, build a better future for themselves and their communities day after day, but also invite everyone to question themselves on the inescapable value of women’s rights, so that every woman can express her potential without limits or barriers, in any context,’ says Gloria Zavatta, President of CESVI Foundation – Milan Design Week also offers the ideal stage to remind us that the home is not always a safe haven, in some cases it can also be a prison or a place from which to defend oneself or flee,’ she adds. ‘We are delighted with this artistic collaboration with Atelier Spazio Xpò and the artist Pablo Pinxit because we are strongly convinced that art, in all its forms, is capable of recounting certain issues with extraordinary sensitivity and raising awareness with an immediate and incisive language’.
‘These images tell the stories of women who choose to redeem themselves from difficult conditions, asserting their economic independence and their right to a space in society. The Agency is fully committed to supporting this path of self-assertion, contributing to an integrated response to the migration crisis. A commitment that strengthens not only the resilience of people in mobility, but also their ability to fully integrate into their host communities,’ adds Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of AICS.
A MESSAGE OF HOPE THROUGH ART
The urban artwork ‘ALMAS: Voices of Courage’ narrates the path of rebirth of Venezuelan migrant women, Colombian return migrant women and finally the women of the host communities of the Colombian peripheral barrios, involved in the project implemented by CESVI in Colombia for women’s emancipation and socio-economic inclusion. The art installation then more widely celebrates the strength of women in difficult contexts, through a hypertext narrative developed inside the Tunnel Reload in via Padova. ‘On one side of the tunnel, some values linked to the cultures and good practices of women’s revenge and civic commitment are depicted as icons; on the other side, a ‘mirror’ copy of the work is reproduced in softer colours, with phrases by well-known women in different cultural and social spheres,’ says curator Christian Gancitano of Atelier Spazio Xpò. An integral part of the work are the photographic portraits taken of women as part of CESVI’s projects in South America. ‘The delicate colour palette and the presence of the floral blossom want to convey a message of hope and rebirth, of reference to the strength and beauty of nature that is reborn every season, as a positive symbol of women’s empowerment and attention to the fight against gender violence,’ says Gancitano.
The inauguration of the work was attended by representatives of CESVI, Gloria Zavatta President and Roberto Vignola Deputy General Manager; curator Christian Gancitano and artist Pablo Pinxit; and local institutions in the person of Gaia Romani, Councillor for Decentralisation, Neighbourhoods and Participation, Civic and General Services of the Municipality of Milan; Alice Cosmai, Head of the ‘Art in Public Spaces’ Office of the Municipality of Milan; Simone Locatelli, President of Milan’s Municipality 2; Arianna Curti, Vice President and Councillor for Culture of Milan’s Municipality 2; Donatella Ronchi, Councillor for Social Policies of Milan’s Municipality 2; Elisabetta Bianchessi, Ass. T12LAB lead signatory of the Tunnel Boulevard cooperation pact.
‘A place freed from cars and returned to people is once again enriched with an important project that conveys a message of female emancipation and at the same time of hope and rebirth. An opportunity to reflect on the figure of women in contexts of poverty and war, those who bear the marks of the abuse and violence they have suffered, but also the burden of managing what remains after a conflict. Tunnel reload has become the first public ‘poster art’ gallery in Milan, thanks to a bottom-up process that has seen many different energies working together, and is now a regenerated space where people can meet and grow opportunities for community and social inclusion, in one of the city’s most multi-ethnic neighbourhoods,’ says Councillor for Participation Gaia Romani.
VENEZUELAN MIGRATION TO COLOMBIA AND THE ALMAS PROJECT
Latin America has seen the largest internal migration flow in its history in the last five years, with almost 7 million people leaving Venezuela for neighbouring countries. For more than a decade, Venezuela has been hit by a crisis that has led the nation to economic collapse with dramatic humanitarian consequences. Currently, more than 20 million people in the country are in need of humanitarian assistance: 82% of Venezuelans suffer from food insecurity and almost 70% are living in multidimensional poverty.
The main destination of the fleeing Venezuelan population is Colombia, which currently hosts more than 2.8 million refugees. In Colombia, however, the condition of migrants is not easy and the most critical issues concern women, who are very exposed to the risks of exploitation and violence due to their economic vulnerability. Precarious conditions also increase the risk of labour exploitation, with many women forced to accept unregulated or underpaid jobs.
‘Despite the introduction of the Temporary Protection Status (ETPV) programme and other regularisation programmes,’ explains Roberto Vignola, Deputy Director General of the CESVI Foundation, ‘migrant women continue to have many difficulties entering the world of work: the lack of access to adequate training programmes, combined with discrimination and gender stereotypes, severely limits their opportunities to obtain stable and decent jobs, making it difficult for them to rebuild a secure life. In Colombia, migrant women work more, earn less and the quality of conditions of their work is lower than that of their Colombian counterparts’.
To respond to this emergency, CESVI with the ALMAS project (Action for Work, Migration and Synergic Reception in Colombia) contributes to improving the living conditions of the Venezuelan population in Colombia, with specific attention to women and young people in the cities of Santa Marta and Barranquilla, implementing a sustainable model that connects public, private, civil society and migrant communities.
In particular, the programme aims to ensure the socio-economic inclusion of Venezuelan migrant and refugee women, and Colombian women, by improving local services that allow access to training (use of new technologies, childcare services, psychological attention and legal and orientation support) and by fostering employment and entrepreneurship. Among the main actions, the ALMAS project proposes childcare services, psychosocial support and legal accompaniment. It also specifically provides for the total involvement of 1,200 women in guidance and learning pathways, access to financial and entrepreneurial development tools. ‘Through the ALMAS project, hundreds of women, victims of violence and poverty, are building their future and economic independence. Most of the beneficiaries, after the training course, have managed to start entrepreneurial activities that guarantee them and their families sustainability and socio-economic integration,’ concludes Roberto Vignola.
The ALMAS project will also be narrated in a podcast by journalist Valerio Nicolosi, who took part in a mission to Colombia with CESVI. You can listen to the trailer here.