The giant of mural art, Brasilian artist Eduardo Kobra, has recently completed a stunning new creation in Pisa. The artist has already worked in Tuscany before, and left his mark on the Apuan Alps, with a reinterpretation of the David in the Carrara marble quarries. This time the subject he’s chosen for Pisa reflects the town’s impressive history, with a giant Galileo Galilei exploring space with a tower-shaped telescope.
New Mural by Kobra in Pisa – Galileo and the Leaning Tower
Covering over 160 square meters, the new Kobra artwork in Pisa is one of Italy’s largest murals. A brightly coloured Galileo Galilei inspects the immensity of the universe dotted with stars. In the night sky are the four largest moons of Jupiter, that Galileo himself discovered in 1610.
The links of the Italian astronomer with Pisa are well known. Born in Pisa, Galileo studied, and later taught, at the city’s University, which still today is one of the most prestigious in Italy. His first biographer Viviani wrote that Galileo used to drop objects of different weights from the top of the Tower of Pisa, to demonstrate his theory of gravity . He demonstrated that the speed at which a heavy object falls is not proportional to its weight, as Aristotle had claimed.
Kobra’s photorealistic portrait of Galileo emerges from a kaleidoscope of multicoloured triangles and squares, that give the design a playful tone. It’s a celebration of Pisa as an historic city – that was once a great maritime power and a vital cultural centre – and of one of its prestigious sons. Past meets present thanks to the skills of this artist that brings the city’s edifices to life, and creates a playful scene with Pisa’s most enduring symbols.
Born in 1975 in south São Paulo, Kobra is one of the most celebrated muralists of our time, with works on five continents. He’s famous for his gigantic portraits, created by a kaleidoscope of bright colours, with themes that reflect his involvement in social issues and enviromental issues.
Where to find Kobra’s new mural in Pisa? On the facade of the Maccarone Multifunctional Center (an office building) in Via Silvio Pellico, near Pisa Centrale train station. It’s a few steps from the Tuttomondo murale by Keith Haring, the first mural given to Pisa in 1989.
Street art has the unique power to bring art into everyday life, and it’s nice to think that long-lived traditions and centuries of history can interact with contemporary art and sensitivities. A dialogue between different times and places. Galileo was after all a revolutionary, a creator of new ideas, and we like to think he’d enjoy his great portrait in his city.
=> Pisa in a Day: a Complete Itinerary
Festival della Strada in Pisa – Street Art Festival 2023
Pisa is on its way to becoming a capital of Street Art. It even has its own festival – the Festival della Strada (Street Art Festival 2023). Here, popular Italian street artists – such as 108, Moneyless, Etnik, Zed1, Aris – will fill the streets of the Porta a Mare neighbourhood with urban artworks.
The street art mania carries on in Palazzo Blu, a popular venue with contemporary art exhibitions. From 27th October 2023 until January 7th 2024, Palazzo Blu shows another multicoloured mural by Kobra, School of Athens, with portraits famous Avant-grade artists. The small Santa Maria della Spina Church hosts the installation “Non Plus Ultra,” created by young Spanish artist Gonzalo Borondo, that invites the visitors to reflect on the limits of human nature.
“Urban art is democratic and inclusive by vocation, which is why it can make a difference; I see cities as great outdoor art galleries, accessible to everyone, even to those who perhaps have never entered a museum. The beauty of painting on the walls of buildings is that the artworks converse with people who walk the streets. This work triggers a process that not only changes the face of the city, but also something in the way of life of those who live there.”
Eduardo Kobra
