Milan has unveiled a mural in memory of Alan Kurdi, the Syrian boy whose body was found on a beach in the Turkish resort town of Bodrum in September 2015. He drowned after the rubber dinghy he and his family were using in an attempt to reach Europe capsized.
The artwork is hosted in the Giambellino Park, on the outskirts of the city, a park which is itself dedicated to the young refugee who became a symbol of the tragedies often faced by migrants at sea.
The 130-square-meter mural was designed and created by the cooperative Farsi Prossimo Onlus. The project involved unaccompanied foreign minors who are in the care of the City of Milan and staying in reception facilities.
During the painting, a public art workshop was also organized, engaging local residents in the creation of a collective and shared work.
“It is significant,” stated Welfare Councillor Lamberto Bertolé, “that the realization of this project was contributed to by some unaccompanied foreign minors who, like Alan, had attempted the sea crossing in search of a better future. Our commitment to them has been to help them in their path to integration, so they may find the peace of mind to which all children and young people are entitled, regardless of their place of birth.”
“Once again, Milan has chosen to entrust art with the task of keeping consciousness alive and transforming pain into shared hope,” commented Culture Councillor Tommaso Sacchi.