A sea tale

2023 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great Italian writer Italo Calvino. The internationally acclaimed Italian mural artist @_millo_ wanting to pay tribute to the endless creativity and imagination of his beloved writer, came to Greece to create a large-scale mural.

He was inspired by one of his favorite childhood readings. Cola Pesce also known as Pesce Cola (meaning Nicholas the fish) is an Italian folk tale derived from the medieval folklore of Sicily and Naples, about a boy who loves the sea so much that he eventually turns into a fish. Italo Calvino adapted and included this tale in his book 'Italian Folktales (1980).

Millo's mural underlines the dreamy and imaginative dimension of fairy tales and at the same time allows the viewer to recognize the personal path of freedom of all those who will never be fully understood by the others.

Millo is a special case in the street art movement with a unique personal artistic universe. His impressively sized murals feature black and white cityscapes painted with elaborate pictorial art and giant figures of inhabitants exploring their urban environment. Reflecting familiar sensations such as love, hope, strength, loneliness, and fear, the protagonists of the narratives take us back to the simplicity of human emotions.

The creation of the mural was a co-organization of the Italian Cultural Institute of Athens, the Municipality of Vyronas and Awesome Athens Experiences.