“From the Roots to the Flower of Remembrance”: the Millo’s Art between Canada and Abruzzo

Share this post:

Artist standing near vibrant mural depicting urban life and embracing figures, wearing a cap and denim jacket.

Art as a conductor of social, cultural, and human transformation runs along the majestic coast of Trabocchi in Abruzzo—an idea that captures the essence of life and people. Following the coastal route between Ortona and Vasto, let us immerse ourselves in a journey where art merges with history, memory, and landscape.

The Trabocchi, ancient fishing machines that were once vital tools for local fishermen, are today symbols of an authentic Abruzzo. As Gabriele D’Annunzio wrote, they were “machines that seemed to live their own lives,” embodying a symbiotic life between fishing and a home for fishermen. These places have become cozy spaces where you can enjoy the fish of the day, experiencing the Spartan life of fishermen.

Sunrise over serene coastal fishing platform with tranquil water reflections and vibrant sky hues.

Can you tell me a little bit about your background and how you came to your artistic expression?

Art has always been my great passion since I was a child, but in mylife, I have had an abnormal path: I attended the science high school in Mesagne, in the province of Brindisi, my hometown, and later I graduated in architecture in Pescara, which I now consider my second home. Meanwhile, I never stopped painting. However, it was only around the end of the first decade of 2000, also due to the strong economic crisis that struck Europe, that I found myself with much more time to devote to my passion. I always felt the urgency to express myself through art, and so I started pushing more and more. At first, the supports were very different from the walls; in fact, the passage to the facades of the palaces was completely unexpected, but since that moment, I think I have never stopped again.

You’ve created murals in different parts of the world. Looking back at your various murals, how do you see your artistic journey and the messages you have transmitted through your works of art? Are there specific themes or experiences that have consistently inspired your creations?

I have always let everyday life find space within my artistic creations.This means that over the years I have tried to balance my emotions and to mix them, for example, with what was happening around me and with what happened around each of us. I have never worked on a single concept or message. From time to time, I try to make my works belong to the place that hosts them, to absorb in advance its history, its needs, and its nightmares, but above all, its dreams, and try to rework and transport the images that emerge from them on the wall.I would like to focus on your murals in Abruzzo and Canada.

Street art mural on urban building, depicting a van with Art Libre sign, in a vibrant cityscape setting.

Starting with Canada. Your mural, ‘Art Libre/Free Art’ in Montreal, Canada, has been supported by the Italian Institute of Culture. Could you share more about the concept behind this work of art and the connection with the area of Plateau on Avenue du Mont-Royal?

I have always thought that there is something democratic about street art—that its being on the street is in some way everyone’s. A territory association in Canada oversaw the project. An Italian citizen proposed the idea to the association. He had imagined my work onthe facade and would have wanted to give the city a new view. That’s why free art exists.

About Abruzzo, I would like to start with the murals on the bike trail along the coast of Trabocchi.

‘From the Roots to the Flower’ in Ortona, Italy, has a significant historical context linked to World War II and the partisan role. How did you decide to focus on the partisan role, and what message did you try to convey through the character surrounded by the poppies?

In Ortona, I created two murals that are linked together, one of which will be the future longest bike trail in Europe. Because that section of the trail was built on an abandoned railway track built at the end of 1800, it is a mural with roots in the past and flowers in the present. It currently stretches 42 kilometres along the Adriatic coast, surrounded by the sea and natural beauty.

The tragically well-known battle of Ortona on the Gustav line, the devotion of all the locals, and the power of the partisans served as my inspiration for this mural.

I concentrated on the women’s role, using their bikes to transport messages between the allies during the battles. Their Italian name, for this reason, was the ‘staffette’ or the dispatch’s cavalry.

They traveled with the brigades, pointing out the most secure routes, exploring, providing intelligence on the adversaries, and gathering all the data that had been lost due to the incursions.

The poppies that surround my characters today are a flower symbol of the Partisans. I wanted this to be both a tribute and an invitation to come and see this lovely area.

Can you tell us about your mural entitled ‘Distrattamente’ painted in 2013 in the Penitentiary of Lanciano? What inspired you to do it in a prison context?

Working in prisons always has a strong emotional impact; it is a place of suffering and rehabilitation. I remember that at that moment, through my work, I wanted to lighten the hours of the present and leave hope.

What was the concept behind your mural ‘Gioco Pericoloso’ and the other murals painted in 2011 at the Post Bar in Pescara, Italy?

The murals in Pescara’s Via Catone, which are all connected and made a few days apart, reflect not only some peculiarities of my city but, more importantly, how the city often made me feel at the time, out of place and lonely despite being immersed in city life.The mural ‘Dream’ in Pescara, Italy, conveys a powerful message about never forgetting to dream.

Can you elaborate on the inspiration for this series and its significance on the outskirts of Fontanelle?

As I wrote in his description, “We should take more care of our lives and never forget to dream, because within every dream there is everything we are and everything we will be.” I painted this wall in Pescara, my adopted city, in a shady neighbourhood that was overlooked by the authorities. Unfortunately, as daily life becomes more complicated, so does one’s ability to hope and dream.

The mural ‘How to Do’ in Raiano, Italy, focused on the theme of gender violence. How did you involve the students in choosing the sketch, and what impact did you hope to get from this work on a school wall?

I painted this wall in Raiano, L’Aquila, for the first anti-seismic school built in Abruzzo, Italy. Gender violence was chosen as the mural’s theme in collaboration with the school’s students. Unfortunately, more than 100 women are killed in Italy each year, and thousands more face harassment, violence, and abuse. It was the same students to whom I submitted several drawings who picked what I then realized because, as they said, the simplicity of the image shows the possibility of relating to the genres with equality and kindness, and it is always the small acts that can change an entire system.

‘My Safe Place’ in Pescara, Italy, was created by P.A.R. Patto Abruzzo Resiliente. Can you explain how the mural is linked to their goal of informing people about the risks in the territory and the safe school facilities?

I created this wall for the P.A.R. Patto Abruzzo Resiliente in a kindergarten and elementary school in Pescara. The goal of the association is to educate as many people as possible about the risks in our area and, especially, the importance of having safe and functional school facilities.

In the last decade, Italy has been hit by a slew of natural disasters, many of which could have been mitigated if there had been more information and controls on city structures. It is easier to imagine abetter future when one is surrounded by culture and knowledge.

The mural ‘Memoria’ in Francavilla al Mare, Italy, was created for the Macondo Festival in the San Franco district. Can you share the inspiration behind this work of art and its connection with the history and present of the neighborhood?

The opera is located in the San Franco district of Francavilla, just above the real city. The neighbourhood, surrounded by hills and the sea, appears to blend present and past in a harmonious coexistence, making it a one-of-a-kind location. I wanted to pay homage to the beauty of Italy, as well as nostalgia and memories. “As air passing through Italian windows, as a deep breath, I remember a drawer opened beyond time.”

‘From The Inside’ in Lanciano, Italy, painted on the Fenaroli Theatre, expresses the importance of culture during lockdown days. What emotions did you want to evoke with this mural, considering the closure of the theatre due to the pandemic?

This mural is on the spectacular Fenaroli theatre in Lanciano, Italy. My wall, as previously stated, was built in 2021 on one of the theater’s façades, which was closed at the time due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic, which began in 2020.

We all learned what it means to live in a quiet world from inside our apartments during the pandemic. It is undeniable how the world of culture has been a key time in our days of lockdown, with my work I tried to put the emphasis on that, wishing a quick return to live culture.

Is there anything else you would like to tell me?

“The best part of us is in that involuntary red muscle inside our chest and I think we should let it compose freely, because his music reaches everyone.”

If you want to find out more about me, you can find me at:

https://www.millo.bizhttps://www.facebook.com/millo27

https://www.instagram.com/_millo_/

https://www.youtube.com/user/francescogiorgino

Smiling woman in red dress sitting on a white sofa, leaning on her hand.

Nancy Perin

Nancy is a caring individual with a background in sociology and a strong desire to connect people. She has improved workplaces and communities with her almost two decades of experience in management teams, human resources, coaching, and community project management. Nancy has also served on the board of directors of the Italian Personnel Managers Association and participated in a humanitarian mission to Dakar, Senegal, to support family centres.

Her intercultural love story sparked her interest in migration-relatedtopics and led her to launch @journeysta, a project that aims to strengthen cultural ties between Canada and Italy.

Nancy oversees the Gallery of Human Migration and believes in the possibility of creating caring communities that are involved in the processes of welcoming, acceptance, and integration. Join her on this journey of discovery and cultural exchange.

Stay Connected

Subscribe to Nancy’s e-newsletter and be among the first to learn about new articles …and more!

Woman smiling in a garden, sitting on a rock beside white flowers, enjoying the sunny day.