After his friend’s murder at the hands of Neo-Nazis 11 years ago, street artist Cibo decided to take his art 
in a new direction: using art and creativity to erase hate. In his native region of Verona, Cibo – a pen name that means “food” in Italian – covers up offensive and hateful graffiti with cheery cartoon paintings of food.
Cibo has been a street artist for 22 years and has received international success with his latest project. Inspired by local cuisine and Italian food traditions, Cibo paints over swastikas, racist slurs and fascist propaganda with drawings of cheese, ravioli, vegetables and other delicious-looking creations. His largest project is a 118,000-square-foot mural that depicts harvest scenes on the side of a building in Verona.
Though his art has been well received by many, some, such as local politicians, disapprove. Sometimes Neo-Nazis scribble over his food drawings in retaliation.
In an interview with SnapItaly, he said, “Public art has the task of asking questions, then everyone gives his answer, without critics or curators. Certainly, however, in a city dominated by hordes of neo-fascists, my path makes one think a single person is making a difference.”
By Kathy McCabe
Photo: Cibo
