Hell is round the corner mural by Bifido, former SACTA tobacco factory, Gambettola, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Hell is round the corner
Bifido · “Hell is round the corner”, 2021 · Former SACTA tobacco factory, no. 35, Gambettola, Emilia-Romagna
Photo as published on Street Art Utopia on 20 October 2021; photographer not named in the post, whose file name credits “Barbara B”
The huge man hiding his face on the old SACTA tobacco factory in Gambettola is “Hell is round the corner”, made by the Italian street artist Bifido in October 2021 for the Bosco Urban Art Project, whose second edition took work as its theme. Bifido told Brooklyn Street Art that he hates free time. The newest dated photos we found are from that month.
5 things to know
- A festival about workThe 2021 Bosco Urban Art Project in Gambettola ran from 1 to 17 October. CesenaToday: “L’arte per parlare di lavoro. Questo il tema della seconda edizione” (“Art to talk about work. This is the theme of the second edition”). CesenaToday · artapartofculture
- On a historic tobacco factoryFestival announcements put Bifido’s work on “l’Ex Tabacchificio SACTA (al n° civico 35)”, the former SACTA tobacco factory at no. 35. Brooklyn Street Art calls it “an abandoned tobacco factory”. CesenaToday · Corriere Cesenate · Brooklyn Street Art
- “I hate free time”Bifido to Brooklyn Street Art: “Making a work on the concept of work for me meant expressing all my dissent against this absurd idea that work (as mere sustenance) gives meaning to our life.” Brooklyn Street Art
- Pasted, not paintedCesenaToday introduced the wall as poster art: “La poster art su Viale Carducci prosegue con lo street artist Bifido” (“The poster art on Viale Carducci continues with the street artist Bifido”). In the photo above, the edges of the figure look like torn paper. CesenaToday
- First called “Carta da lavoro”Before the festival the project was announced as “Carta da lavoro” (“work paper”), made during Bifido’s artist residency at the Stazione degli Artisti, the town’s new arts hub in the old stationmaster’s house. Corriere Cesenate · artapartofculture
Check-in guide
- 📍
- Former SACTA tobacco factory (Ex Tabacchificio SACTA), no. 35, Gambettola, Forlì-Cesena, Italy; CesenaToday places it on Viale Carducci, the tree-lined avenue from the centre to the station (CesenaToday, Corriere Cesenate).
- 🧭
- The Maps button opens Street View at Viale Giosuè Carducci 35, facing the wall. No source we found gives map coordinates for it.
- 🧻
- It was made as poster art on paper, which weathers faster than paint. The newest dated photos are from October 2021.
Sightings
- 202123 Sep
Project announced
- 202129 Sep
Festival programme
- 20211 Oct
Festival opens
- 202120 Oct
In SAU “Hell Is Round the Corner”
- 202121 Oct
Photos on I Support Street Art
- 202123 Oct
Artist’s photos on BSA
- 202327 Feb
Barbara Picci blog post
Every stamp links to the dated source. Green stamps are photos of the finished wall published within days of the October 2021 festival, when the work was made; Brooklyn Street Art credits its photos to Bifido. Amber stamps are announcements, reposts and a later blog post: Barbara Picci’s post of 27 February 2023 shows the wall but does not say when her photos were taken. We found no dated photo after October 2021.
On the record
Bifido on the Futility of Meaningless Work in Northern Italy
“A life at work, a life without life. Life in your free time, spent being entertained in some refreshing recreational activity,” he says.
The New York site says the figure is pensive, “possibly because he worked at this factory for decades, Bifido surmises.” Photos © Bifido.
Al via la nuova edizione di “Bosco Urban Art Project”
“La poster art su Viale Carducci prosegue con lo street artist Bifido: dal secondo weekend di ottobre la parete di uno degli edifici storici di Gambettola – l’Ex Tabacchificio SACTA (al n° civico 35) – diventa infatti il supporto per uno dei suoi grandi interventi.”
English: “The poster art on Viale Carducci continues with the street artist Bifido: from the second weekend of October the wall of one of Gambettola’s historic buildings, the former SACTA tobacco factory (at no. 35), becomes the support for one of his large works.”
Ai nastri di partenza la seconda edizione del “Bosco urban art project”
“Nel primo week end di ottobre prenderà vita il progetto Carta da lavoro, sulla parete di uno degli edifici storici di Gambetttola, l’ex Tabacchificio Sacta (al n° civico 35)”
English: “On the first weekend of October the project Carta da lavoro will come to life on the wall of one of Gambettola’s historic buildings, the former Sacta tobacco factory (at no. 35).” By Piero Spinosi, reporting the festival’s press conference.
The facts
- Artist
- Bifido, Italian street artist (Brooklyn Street Art, I Support Street Art, Barbara Picci, CesenaToday) Checked
- Title
- “Hell is round the corner” (Brooklyn Street Art, I Support Street Art, Barbara Picci) Checked
- Project name
- Announced before the festival as “Carta da lavoro” (Corriere Cesenate, artapartofculture) Reported
- Made
- October 2021, during the festival of 1–17 October (CesenaToday, artapartofculture, I Support Street Art) Checked
- Start
- The announcements disagree on the weekend: “primo week end di ottobre” (first) in Corriere Cesenate and artapartofculture, “secondo weekend di ottobre” (second) in CesenaToday (Corriere Cesenate, artapartofculture, CesenaToday) Conflicting
- Occasion
- Second Bosco Urban Art Project, on the theme of work, by the Associazione Circuiti Dinamici with the patronage of the Comune di Gambettola (CesenaToday, artapartofculture) Checked
- Residency
- Made during Bifido’s artist residency at the Stazione degli Artisti, Piazza Martiri d’Ungheria 2 (Corriere Cesenate, artapartofculture) Reported
- Technique
- Poster art, per CesenaToday; Brooklyn Street Art and I Support Street Art do not name the technique (CesenaToday) Reported
- Building
- Former SACTA tobacco factory, no. 35 (CesenaToday, Corriere Cesenate, artapartofculture); “an abandoned tobacco factory” (Brooklyn Street Art) Checked
- Street
- Viale Carducci, from the way CesenaToday introduces the wall; the other announcements give only the house number (CesenaToday) Reported
- Status
- Seen October 2021 in photos published on 21 and 23 October 2021 (I Support Street Art, Brooklyn Street Art) Checked. Whether the paper work is still on the wall: no dated source after 2021 found Unconfirmed
Related
- On Street Art Utopia: HELL IS ROUND THE CORNER (20 October 2021), where the photo above first appeared.
- More photos of the wall and links to the artist. Barbara Picci
- The full 2021 Bosco Urban Art Project programme: poster art along Viale Carducci, exhibitions at the Stazione degli Artisti and shop windows. artapartofculture
All sources (6)
This work
- Brooklyn Street Art: “Bifido on the Futility of Meaningless Work in Northern Italy”, 23 October 2021. Title, Bosco Urban Project, abandoned tobacco factory in Gambettola, Bifido’s statement; photos © Bifido.
- I Support Street Art: “Bifido wall for Bosco Urban Project”, 21 October 2021. Title, Bosco Urban Project, theme of labour, old abandoned tobacco factory; photos.
- Barbara Picci: “Streetart – Bifido @ Gambettola, Italy”, 27 February 2023. Title, location, Bosco Urban Art Project; two photos.
Festival announcements
- Corriere Cesenate: “Ai nastri di partenza la seconda edizione del “Bosco urban art project””, 23 September 2021, by Piero Spinosi. “Carta da lavoro”, ex Tabacchificio Sacta no. 35, Bifido’s residency, first weekend of October.
- CesenaToday: “Al via la nuova edizione di “Bosco Urban Art Project””, 29 September 2021. Theme of work, 1–17 October, poster art on Viale Carducci, Ex Tabacchificio SACTA no. 35, second weekend of October.
- artapartofculture: “Bosco Urban Art Project. Festival a Gambettola 1-17 ottobre 2021”, 1 October 2021. Same programme text as the press release: “Carta da lavoro”, SACTA no. 35, residency, organisers.
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