MOOOO: Taking during the evening passageitta one cool evening in June, along Corso Vittorio Emmanuale II, aka. one of the major shopping streets in Milan.
Cows, cows, cows... everywhere! I thought this was something only small cities in the United States (ie. Harrisburg, PA) participated in, but lo' and behold, they are all over the streets of Milan's gorgeous historic centre. These cows were to be sold to raise money for charity, and were to be exhibited for a mere three months (April - June). Sounds like a great plan, right?
Street art is always a concept to ponder on, as it adds piazzazz to the mundane streets of the city and gives local/up-and-coming artists the chance to express their creativity. Both tourists and locals love taking pictures with it, and most importantly, can be used as a way to spread any kind of message (polticial, religious, social, cultural) to the masses.
Milan's Cow Parade 2007, however, was far from successful and street art didn't fare so well in the fashion capital of the world. Both local and national newspapers reported that Milan set a record for the number of cows vandalized, particularly during the night that the AC Milan football club won the European championships (24 May 2007). The poor cows were either burned, thrown into a fountain, vandalized with all sorts of materials or simply stolen.
Alternative ways to raise money for various charities are now being explored, and the cows have been replaced with neon sculptures that ironically do not light up at night. Hmmm... who knows what might happen next. Better luck next time, Milano!
For mooooo.re information, please visit: http://www.cowparademilano.it/index.php
Street art is always a concept to ponder on, as it adds piazzazz to the mundane streets of the city and gives local/up-and-coming artists the chance to express their creativity. Both tourists and locals love taking pictures with it, and most importantly, can be used as a way to spread any kind of message (polticial, religious, social, cultural) to the masses.
Milan's Cow Parade 2007, however, was far from successful and street art didn't fare so well in the fashion capital of the world. Both local and national newspapers reported that Milan set a record for the number of cows vandalized, particularly during the night that the AC Milan football club won the European championships (24 May 2007). The poor cows were either burned, thrown into a fountain, vandalized with all sorts of materials or simply stolen.
Alternative ways to raise money for various charities are now being explored, and the cows have been replaced with neon sculptures that ironically do not light up at night. Hmmm... who knows what might happen next. Better luck next time, Milano!
For mooooo.re information, please visit: http://www.cowparademilano.it/index.php
