Albisola Superiore – Ceramic bunnies of all colors and sizes, but with a single name: Osvaldo. A surprise that since yesterday, Monday 14 February, has been embellishing the recently renovated flowerbeds of Piazza Dante Alighieri. Valentine’s Day, the day chosen by the administration of Albisola Superiore to inaugurate the artistic installation curated by the Albisola ceramist Paolo Pastorino. An initiative that combines street furniture with the historic local tradition of ceramics with a new and original art form: “urban toy art”. «It is a project that arises from the mingling of urban art, a relative of “street art”, such as, for example, graffiti and “toy art”, a lesser known art, especially in Italy – says Pastorino – “urban toy” in English means “urban toy”, therefore, my intent is to return to the idea of joy and happiness that above all toys are able to arouse, particularly in youth, as opposed to the worries and anguish that one feels in the adult world in these pandemic years.
The tool to achieve this is Osvaldo, a bunny-shaped character that Paolo Pastorino replicates and personalizes with ever-changing themes, such as, for example, the characteristics of Diabolik: «Osvaldo has a playful and ironic soul, represented by simple, captivating lines and colors bright, pop, from red to yellow, from purple to white, up to black – he continues – for my works, I use innovative techniques such as the silvering of ceramics which makes the colors mirrored».
Several participants in the afternoon inauguration, despite the rain, who then stopped to take a selfie with Osvaldo, in the frame positioned for the occasion in the center of the square. “After Paolo Anselmo’s whimsical and ironic fish, with the enrichment of Paolo Pastorino’s bunnies, the “in progress” restyling of this square continues in the center of Albisola, which maintains an ever new and different decor – explains Simona Poggi, councilor for culture of the Municipality of Albisola Superiore – “Osvaldo” combines design with the beauty of art and we thought it was a very suitable artistic installation for this type of place».