Lodine is a small town with a big personality. Visitors coming from Nuoro will immediately see why: almost all of the town’s shutters are painted with portraits of famous people.

It all started back in 2003, when the local artists Gregorio Crisponi, Marco Demelas and Igor Demelas decided that the contrast between the grey shutters and the colourful walls and flowers on the balconies was too jarring. Therefore, they began painting the town’s shutters with famous characters from popular culture, politics and entertainment, starting with Antonio Gramsci.

The town’s Youth Council immediately took part in this initiative and launched “Giornate dell’Arte”: this three-day event, which is sponsored by the Municipality and takes place every year at the beginning of August, attracts artists from all backgrounds who are asked to add new paintings to the town’s walls or shutters. There are also workshops for children and teens.

Over the years, famous Sardinian artists such as Vincenzo Pattusi, Pastorello, and Emanuela Cau, just to name a few, have attended the event. There have also been a few art exhibitions featuring works by 20th-century masters such as the figurative artist Antonio Ballero and the abstract artist Mauro Manca.

The town’s streets are also dotted with black and white pictures that are part of two projects launched by photographer Salvatore Ligios in 2001.

I maschi di Lodine – Calendario 2002 (‘The men of Lodine – 2002 Calendar’) is the result of a collaborative effort by several artists, fashion designers and architects, such as Maria Lai, Leonardo Boscani, Josephine Sassu and many more. For the project Circolo Marras – Dodici storie di maschi di Lodine (‘Circolo Marras – Twelve stories about the men of Lodine’) Salvatore Ligios photographed local men dressed as Antonio Marras, with texts by writer Flavio Soriga. The pictures displayed across the town are only a small part of the two projects.

Both this initiative and Giornate dell’Arte have been extremely well received by the local community and especially by the Youth Council, who has been involved in the planning process since day one.

Text by Laura Melis with the contribution of Monia Cillara and the Youth Council