By Compiled by Spectator staff
Copyright sme
Bratislava has a new attraction – a mural of the legendary comedy duo Milan Lasica and Július Satinský.
The artwork was inspired by the cover of the vinyl record Dialogues, which the pair recorded 45 years ago. In the mural, however, the pistols from the original photograph have been replaced with bananas, a reference to Andy Warhol, another world-famous artist with Slovak roots.
The mural is located on Dunajská Street, closely connected with the life of Július Satinský, and has already become a popular spot for visitors. The monumental piece was created as part of the Bratislava Street Art Festival (BSAF), which has been bringing top-quality street art to the Slovak capital for 15 years.
“This is the very first time we’ve dedicated a mural to someone – a tribute – in this case to the legendary duo L+S,” the festival organisers wrote on Facebook.
Created by Italian artist Vincenzo ViM
The organisers invited renowned Italian street artist Vincenzo Magno, who signs his work under the name Vincenzo ViM. He specialises in graffiti and murals, producing works not only in his native Milan but also across Italy and abroad.
Among his well-known tribute murals are a portrait of the canonised 15-year-old Italian Carlo Acutis for the Church of St George in Colico, a portrait of the late Pope Francis, actors Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio, and the late singer Jim Morrison in Catania, Sicily, the Pravda daily recalled.
His latest tribute in Bratislava draws directly on the 1980 album cover photo by Daniel Zachar. Instead of weapons, the commissioners of the mural chose Andy Warhol’s iconic bananas.
“We opted for a more humorous and positive symbol. It’s the banana that Andy Warhol created for the Velvet Underground album cover – the most famous banana of Slovak origin,” the organisers explained.
Satinský already remembered in the neighbourhood
The mural adds to several other artworks commemorating Július Satinský in the area. On Dunajská Street stands a metal sculpture entitled Július Satinský Listens to the Sounds of Dunajská Street by sculptor Svetozár Ilavský. A few streets away, on Dostojevského Rad, Milan Lasica also spent an important part of his life.
The project was supported by both families as well as by photographer Daniel Zachar, the author of the original image.
As part of this year’s Bratislava Street Art Festival, three more murals will be created in the Ružinov borough by the end of the year. Next year, to mark the 15th anniversary of BSAF, the organisers are promising some big surprises.
