Arte d’Zona – Bringing Joy and Colours Back to Santa Maria (Gallery of Murals)

Arianna Casaburo is originally from Naples and has lived in Santa Maria for several years. She is an Italian fashion designer but also works as a kitesurfing instructor. During the pandemic, she had no one to teach, so she spent her free time walking the deserted streets of Santa Maria. That’s when she noticed the streets were grey and neglected, making the city look sad.

“Empty streets say a lot about you. Having lived here for many years, I realised they were grey, colourless, lifeless. I noticed that the houses were dilapidated, with faded facades. They seemed abandoned, but I knew many people were living there, mainly children.” – said Arianna.

Unable to forget the sad observation, taking advantage of her free time, Arianna Casaburo decided to change the situation. She rallied friends from Cabo Verde and abroad and founded the Arte d’Zona.

Metamorfosis of Rua d’Casa

Arianna began by painting a container on Rua d’Caca (Patrice Lumumba) with a beautiful oceanic colour. By doing this, she immediately gained a great ally in the actor Victor Silva, the well-known resident of that street. The reaction of the other residents of Santa Maria was also quite remarkable and swift. They joined Arianna in her work and carried out tasks such as cleaning, painting, building benches and pots, and planting. After just one week, Rua d’Caca had changed beyond recognition, transforming from a grey alley into a colourful garden. Arianna recalls:

“It was amazing what happened on Rua d’Caca. All the residents, including the children, came together to improve the street’s image. They got up at 6:00 a.m. to clean, paint, and plant. They did a beautiful job in just one week.”

Project gets supporters
Soon after improving the first street by Arte d’Zona, individuals and companies began supporting Arianna’s project by donating paints, building materials, and food for all the workers. Local authorities also supported the recolouring. Later, the project received support from the local authorities.

Borough Council Sal took care of Arte d’Zona’s works on Rua d’Caca. They installed public lighting and decreed that every week, a chosen person is responsible for watering, tending the gardens, and clearing litter from the road.

After Rua d’Caca, the colouring action spread to other streets, such as Travessa Fundo d’Mar, das Salinas, and Rua d’Traz.

Broken Windows theory

“Social psychologists and police officers tend to agree that if a window in a building is broken and is left unrepaired, all the rest of the windows will soon be broken. This is as true in nice neighbourhoods as in rundown ones. Window-breaking does not necessarily occur on a large scale because some areas are inhabited by determined window-breakers whereas others are populated by window-lovers; rather, one un-repaired broken window is a signal that no one cares, and so breaking more windows costs nothing. (It has always been fun.)”

– stated James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling in “Broken Windows” article in The Atlantic Monthly, 1982.

The theory inspired Arianna. Theoretical statistics of “Broken windows” tell us that caring for public spaces influences a decrease in crime. Therefore, the Arte d’Zona project aimed to renovate derelict and neglected areas in Santa Maria to prevent further vandalism, make them look nice and be safer.

Positive impact

Thanks to Arianna and her Arte d’Zona project, new life and hope have been brought to the city, a precious and scarce commodity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project has had a much broader impact than is apparent. As well as improving the city’s image and increasing the integration and pride of its residents, Arte d’Zona is helping to preserve and restore its architectural heritage, and it’s creating free art classes for children to pursue their passions beautifully – through murals created together with older artists and visible every day to passers-by. Arte d’Zona is also rescuing the traditional custom of families and the elderly sitting and playing on their doorstep – how much more pleasant it is to spend time in beautiful surroundings!

Furthermore, after the work carried out by Arte d’Zona, the once drab and grey streets began to be frequented by tourists, which increased the chances of more customers in local restaurants and shops, and therefore, more profits for the small businesses and the population in general.

Importance of support

The positive impact of Arte d’Zona can be felt and admired throughout almost the entire city, but the weather conditions do not make it easy for Ariana and her team to work. The harsh sun causes the paint to peel and fade, necessitating repeated restoration every few years. That makes the action carried out by Arianna all the more beautiful, and it is all the more important to provide ongoing support. So please, if you like what Arte d’Zona is doing and have the means to support them, don’t hesitate!