Inside Emilia-Romaña, very close to the Adriatic Sea and the banks of the Marechia River, it is located MUTONIAa place as unusual as fascinating. This permanent artistic community, with its recycled metal sculptures, modified vehicles and habitable structures of inspiration “Steampunk“, Evokes a post -apocalyptic scenario worthy of”Mad Max”
But this enclave, an alternative creativity symbol and collective life, is in danger again. In fact, the Italian State Council has lying the urban plan that guaranteed its protection, reopening the possibility of an eviction that would end more than three decades of countercultural history.
MUTONIA. Origins of a cultural experiment
MUTONIA He was born in the early 1990s, when the English collective Mutoid Waste Companyknown for his artistic activism in the Punk, Squatter and Postyndustrial scene, was invited to participate in the prestigious International Festival of the Theater of Santarngelo Di Romagna. An avant -garde tradition event that since the 70s has hosted, with great success, experimental artists around the world.
But during his stay in 1991, the Mutoidi They occupied an ancient abandoned quarry on the outskirts of the town, on the banks of Marechia. There they began to build their particular world: a space where art, sustainability, creative recycling and community life merged into an alternative model of existence.
With discarded materials (scrap, unscathed cars, industrial components, etc.) created monumental sculptures, habitable homes and vehicles that seem out of an apocalyptic film. Of course, they soon settled permanently.
MUTONIA It would not exist without its surroundings. Santarcangelo Di Romagna, with just over 20,000 inhabitants, is a picturesque municipality of the province of Rimini, known for its historical wealth, its medieval architecture and its cultural life. Its cobbled streets, its castle and its network of underground caves contrast with the countercultural energy of MUTONIAbut also enrich it.
The presence of Mutoidi He has added an unexpected layer to local identity, traditionally open to artistic experimentation. In fact, the theater festival, where it all started, is still a lighthouse of scenic innovation. MUTONIAfar from being a foreign body, it has become an organic part of the cultural landscape of Santarngelo.
Already in 2013, MUTONIA He faced a first eviction attempt, originated by a complaint. The reaction was massive: citizens, artists and institutional representatives mobilized in defense of the project. Thanks to this pressure, it was possible that the area was recognized as “Cultural Park”, And the eviction order was revoked.
However, in January 2025, the Italian State Council annulled the urban plan approved by the City Council of Santarngelo that protected the quarry occupied by MUTONIA. The sentence does not order its immediate eviction, but leaves the group in a situation of legal vulnerability. The mayor, Alice Parmahas expressed its intention to find a negotiated solution, but uncertainty remains in the air.
MUTONIA It is not just an artistic community: it is also an experiment of civil resistance, alternative coexistence and reappropriation of urban space. It represents a model of spontaneous urbanism and regeneration of degraded areas without market intervention or traditional administrations.
Its Cyberpunk aesthetic, its performances, and its collective way of life are, in the end, a criticism of excessive consumption, to the homogenization of urban environments and the commodification of art. Hence, its inclusion in official cultural circuits such as the Venice Architecture Biennial or European networks of creative spaces have been requested.
The documentary HOMETOWNWN MUTONIA (2019), directed by the filmmakers Anna Franceschini and Alessio Galbiatiand that you have at the beginning of this article, captured the essence of the place and helped make its artistic and social value beyond the Italian context.
The threat of eviction poses a background dilemma: how should the spaces occupied by unconventional cultural projects be managed? Do alternative life forms that challenge the city’s neoliberal model?
MUTONIA It represents a unique response to these challenges: it is a living metaphor of the possibility of inhabiting the world in another way. In times marked by the climatic crisis, real estate speculation and cultural impoverishment, MUTONIA It offers a small lighthouse of pluralism and creativity.
