Quando arrivai a Roma per la prima volta nel 2004, la metro mi appariva come un libro incomprensibile. Era sporca di scritte e per il mio parere di graffitaro straniero, la gente non aveva rispetto l'una dell'altra. I pezzi erano spesso crossati e i graffiti erano grezzi e realizzati con poca precisione.
 |
| Due metro A si incrociano sul Ponte Nenni. |
 |
| Rap U.V sopra un wholecar OK CREW, 2005. |
 |
| OK crew, 2005. |
 |
| Donstone PJ. |
 |
| Gast dipinto nel 2003, Lash dipinto nel 2005 fermi al deposito di Anagnina. |
 |
| Was MT2 e Starsky ETC dipinti nel 1994 ancora giravano nel 2005! Notare come il riempimento argento dello Starsky sia completamente sparito. |
Presto incontrai i ragazzi della Arf. Tutti abbastanza diversi tra di loro ma in generale brava gente, con la quale avrei poi trascorso molte ore a "leggere" le fiancate della linea A, a bere molte Peroni, a fare delle tag in banchina e a scattare foto dei pezzi nuovi. Dopo poco iniziai anche io ad andare con loro a dipingere la linea. Fu subito amore. Non mi bastava più andare al "posto loro". Iniziai ad andare a dipingere anche di giorno, saltando sui binari davanti ai passeggeri per raggiungere i treni parcheggiati nei tunnel. Da quel momento è iniziato un amore vero e profondo per questa linea tutta sotterranea.
 |
| Tokyo Pung, 2005. |
 |
| Brus KIDZ Jago ARF |
 |
| Neor Pung ARF, 2006. |
E' come se lo splendido verme arancione che percorreva tutta Roma da tanti anni si stava facendo divorare dai mostri moderni e senza anima. In quel periodo molti writers romani smisero, una pagina della storia era stata girata. Però io, Neor e ogni tanto Erotik continuammo a controllare i lay-up e le altre yard, come ossessionati dall'arancione, come se rifiutassimo il cambiamento. Una notte, poco prima del mio trasferimento all'estero, incontrammo l'ultimo treno sopravvissuto che ogni tanto ancora girava. Era lì, caldo e faceva i suoi rumori. Quelli della bestia gigante di metallo che si riposa soddisfatta della giornata di lavoro. Ho sempre pensato che magari sogna pure. Piano piano ci avvicinammo e con grande emozione iniziammo a dipingere. Erano mesi che non lo toccavo. In quel momento ero a metà tra la gioia di rifarlo, magari per l'ultima volta, e l'amarezza di pensare che presto sarebbe sparita pure questa "composizione". Pochi mesi dopo ritornai a Roma dai miei amici. L'ultima sera fu un classico "sabato sera" con Peroni, throw-up, tekno, risse e droga... uscendo dalla festa andammo direttamente a prendere la prima corsa direzione Anagnina per poi andare all'aeroporto.
Erano le 6 della mattina quando si fermò questa famosa metro arancione di fronte a me. Pensai che non poteva essere reale, che era l'LSD che m'ero mangiato che mi faceva allucinare. Scattai una foto e capii che era vero. Fu l'ultima volta che vidi questa metro girare e mi piace pensare che er verme mi ha accompagnato fuori Roma prima di andare a morire nel profondo della sua tana come un vecchio cane che ti ringrazia dell'amore che gli hai dato prima di sparire nel bosco.
Pung ARF HP
 |
| Allucinazione o realta? |
English:
The Last Worm
When I came to Rome for the first time in 2004, the metro seemed to me like an incomprehensible book. It was dirty and all written up, and according to my opinion as a foreign graffiti writer, people had no respect for one another. The pieces were often crossed out and the graffiti was crude and executed with little precision.
|
| Two trains cross on the Nenni Bridge. |
|
| Rap U.V. over an OK CREW wholecar, 2005. |
|
| OK crew having beef with Lash, 2005. |
|
| Donstone PJ, 2005. |
|
| Gast painted in 2003. Lash painted in 2005. Anagnina depot. |
|
| Was MT2 Starsky ETC painted in 1994 were still running in 2005! Notice how the silver fill-in of the Starsky piece has completely disappeared. |
I soon met the guys from the ARF crew. All different from one another but nice people with which I would have soon spent many hours "reading" the sides of the A line trains, drinking many Peroni beers, doing tags on the station platforms, and shooting photos of new pieces. A while later I started painting the line with them. It was instant love. It wasn't enough for me to go to their "spot". I started painting during the daytime as well, jumping on the tracks in front of passengers to reach the trains parked in the tunnels. From that moment on a true love story had begun with this line that runs completely underground.
|
| Tokyo Pung ARF, 2005. |
|
| Brus KIDZ Jago ARF, 2005. |
 |
| LA, JN throwups, 2001. Kot1 Poe ARF throwups, 2005. |
 |
| Kot1 Poe ARF throwups, 2005. |
 |
| Kot1 ARF, 2005. |
 |
| Poe ARF top to bottom, 2005. |
 |
| Neor ARF, 2005. |
 |
| Jago ARF, 2005. |
I am like a rat. I like tunnels where it never rains and where the sun never shines. I spent so many nights trying to find new ways to get in and paint. The important thing wasn't even being able to reach the subway train, but trying to sneak into the tunnel and breathing the rotten air typical of the A-line. But soon enough a terrible tragedy occurred on the A-line that was like a sickness. The old cars were replaced with these horrible white plastic cars.
 |
| Neor Pung ARF, 2006. |
It is as if the beautiful orange worm that had been running across Rome for so many years was being devoured by the modern monsters without a soul. During that period many Roman writers stopped painting. A page in history had been turned. But me, Neor, and also Erotik from time to time kept checking the layups and the yards, as if obsessed by the color orange, as if we refused to accept this change. One night, shortly before my transfer abroad, we met the last surviving orange train that was still running on the line. There it was, warm and making its usual sounds. The sounds of the huge metal beast that rests, satisfied after its hard day's work. I always thought that it might even have dreams itself. We slowly got closer and with extreme joy we started painting. It had been months since I had touched it. I was caught in between two emotions. On one hand the excitement of once again painting it, maybe for the last time. On the other the bitterness in thinking that soon even this "composition" would soon disappear. A few months later I returned to Rome to see my friends. The last evening was a classic "saturday night" with Peroni beers, throwups, techno, brawls and drugs...we left the party to go take the first A-line train towards Anagnina then straight to the airport.
It was 6 in the morning when this famous orange subway stopped in front of me. I thought it could not be real, that it was just the effect of the LSD I had eaten that I was halucinating on. I took a flick and understood it was real. It was the last time I ever saw this subway running, and I like to think that the worm accompanied me out of Rome before going to die in the depth of his lair, just like an old dog thanks you for all the love you gave him before disappearing in the woods.
Pung ARF HP
 |
| Halucination or reality? |
