Public art · Action
Arte da Rubare: for twenty years, the work has come alive by disappearing
The collective initiated by Marco “Canz52” Cantarelli leaves artworks in cities for passers-by to take and complete the performance.
In brief
Arte da Rubare began with a gesture by Marco Cantarelli, known as Canz52: leave artworks in the street and allow anyone to take them. The object is not simply given away; it becomes a device waiting for a decision.
For more than twenty years, the action has crossed streets, alleys and peripheral spaces. It works best when the finder does not yet know they have entered a performance.
How the project works
Artists leave paintings, sculptures and small works in public places. A passer-by may carry one away, becoming an active participant in the work.
A message on the back invites the finder to send a photograph of the work in its new location. The street creates a relationship no guest list could programme.
Who is the artist?
The project shifts the meaning of authorship: the person who takes the work completes its journey. Material production remains important, but the unexpected encounter is the climax.
Value does not disappear when price is suspended. It changes form, becoming the artist’s time, the passer-by’s surprise, the memory of a place and the documentation of an action.
Sources and further reading
Sources allow readers to verify and explore. Official artist links are part of the feature, not an appendix.