RUFA students had the opportunity to meet one of the most enigmatic and impactful figures in Italian street art: Laika, the masked artist and activist who has made anonymity and social commitment her distinctive traits.
Friday, May 16 at 5:00 PM – RUFA Campus in Via Libetta, 7 – Aula Magna (G13).
Meeting open to the entire RUFA community.
White mask, red wig, free voice.
Her face remains unknown, but her artworks are instantly recognisable: posters and stencils that appear overnight on the walls of Rome, addressing crucial issues such as human rights, freedom of expression, social justice, and gender-based violence — all with a direct, ironic, and deeply human style.
First appearing in the summer of 2019, Laika has signed some now-iconic images, such as the embrace between Giulio Regeni and Patrick Zaky, the tribute to Gigi Proietti, and the protest against the eviction of Cinema Palazzo. In a world often dominated by male voices, Laika has chosen the path of invisibility to let her images speak for her.
A self-described “Roman sticker-paster”, Laika — with modesty and irony — has turned the city’s walls into spaces for visual resistance and critical thought. Her name pays tribute to the Soviet dog who boarded the Sputnik in 1957, the first living being to enter space: a powerful metaphor for courage and the exploration of boundaries, both human and artistic.
The talk at RUFA was moderated by Riccardo Corbò , journalist specialising in youth cultures, curator, and RUFA lecturer.
It was a valuable opportunity to delve into the vision of an artist who has chosen to remain anonymous to give voice to collective causes. An open talk for students of all programmes, aimed at reflecting on the power of urban art, visual communication as a form of activism, and freedom of expression in a time that still challenges it.
Browse the event photos
