5 cool street art pieces in Rome

The windows of this rainbow-coloured building have become the eyes of psychedelic lifeforms. They’re the creation of Italian street artist Blu, who spent two years living with the 450 squatters who occupy this former air force barracks while he painted it, calling it ‘one of the best experiences’ of his life.

Put a bird on it. Lots of them. That’s what artists Agostino Iacurci, Liqen and Hitnes did to Sanba, short for this area of the San Basilio neighbourhood. Surrounding a playground, the murals also include giant cats, frogs, and flowers from what looks like Lewis Carroll’s idea of a rainforest.

A who’s who of the personalities that influenced artist JB Rock, painted in alphabetical order, from Dante Alighieri to Zorro (a self-portrait of the artist). Extending nearly 60 metres, the parade of black-and-white faces on a red background includes Barack Obama, Pope John Paul II, Ray Charles, Malcolm X, and Quentin Tarantino.

MAAM, an acronym that stands for Museum of the Other and the Elsewhere Metropoliz, is set inside a squat in the Rome outskirts. Its residents are some of the artists. Through word of mouth, they’ve invited universities, galleries, independent curators, and random people to take part since 2012. Open Saturdays.

The work by Moscow-based Alexey Luka translates to ‘(Female) Foreigner’. In a style akin to Picasso’s cubism, distorted shapes converge to form a woman’s face, encompassing the entire side of this residential building. The colour scheme is in harmony with the surrounding cityscape.