Murales Bolognese: Visual Representation of Italian Urban Culture
Murales Bolognese: Visual Representation of Italian Urban Culture

Summary/Abstract: The city of Bologna (Italy) is mainly known for the rich and well-preserved history, the left-wing political opinions of its inhabitants and for the one of the lowest child birth rates in a European city. These aspects, combined with the fact that the city has the largest university in Europe in terms of number of students,shapes the local urban culture in a particular way. This paper investigates the visual manner in which some inhabitants of Bologna, collectively known as “graffers”, express themselves in an attempt to identify the characteristics of their public voice. Such expression is often in contradiction with the way in which the town officials wish to promote a certain image of Bologna based on historical tradition. The methods of visual sociology are used to analyse the graffiti in terms of locations and content, in an attempt to explain the process of socialisation in a stable and prosperous society.

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