Summary
- Ache77 transforms discarded spray cans into over 50 artworks depicting universal human archetypes
- Exhibition runs at two Florence locations, showcasing both new works and career retrospective
- Artist uses oxidation and mechanical processes to create three-dimensional effects on metal surfaces
Street Levels Gallery in Florence opens its doors to Ache77's first solo exhibition on November 14, with a free opening reception from 5:00 PM to 11:30 PM. The show continues through January 11, 2026, at the gallery's Via Melegnano 4r location.
The Romanian artist, born in 1991 and based in Florence since 2015, presents more than 50 works created entirely from recycled spray paint cans. Each piece depicts one of 44 archetypal figures: the memory keeper, the humble one, the wounded seer, the form creator. These universal energies exist within all people, according to the artist's concept.
Ache77 collected thousands of discarded aerosol containers, cut them open, and assembled the metal pieces on wooden supports. The spray can, typically the primary tool of street art, becomes the canvas itself. Some pieces feature the interior surface, preserving traces of their original colors. Others display the exterior, incorporating existing text and marks into the final composition.
The technical process combines mechanical and chemical methods. Ache77 scores, etches, and oxidizes the metal surfaces. Rust plays a role equal to gold, silver, or copper leaf in traditional art. The oxidation agents cause the metal to react and transform, creating small ridges, swellings, and layered textures. These formations give the works a sculptural quality, approaching the effect of low relief.
The exhibition title "Ecce Homo, Ecce Eva. (Those Who Remember)" signals a shift in the artist's practice. Known for hieratic masks and timeless faces that appear on street corners across Italy and Europe, Ache77 moves beyond the mask in this body of work. The faces still communicate through their gaze, but now they guide viewers toward awareness of their own identity.
Ache77 studied sculpture at the George Enescu University of Visual Arts and Design in Iași, Romania. His academic focus centered on guerrilla sculpture and uncommissioned interventions in public space. He views the city as a living body marked with signs of consciousness.
Since 2015, he has worked as a resident artist and co-founder of Street Levels Gallery, the first Tuscan gallery dedicated to urban art. His practice begins with cutting and etching, preparatory gestures that precede the image's appearance. The stencil functions as a meditative and ritual practice for the artist, where repetition transforms into language.
The show at Via Melegnano runs parallel to a second exhibition at Via Palazzuolo 74ar. This companion space displays a selection of works representing Ache77's artistic development, offering a complete view of his evolution from earlier pieces to current output.
The environmental aspect of the project addresses waste directly. The artist describes his choice to work with "the undesirable" and transform it into something worth attention. Thousands of abandoned spray cans, destined for landfills, now serve as active memory and sites of renewal.
Street Levels Gallery opened in 2016 through collaboration between artists and cultural producers. The space explores interactions between urban art, public space, and exhibition contexts. It operates as a research center, exhibition venue, and cultural production hub that promotes underground visions.
The gallery programs public and private art interventions, workshops, talks, and presentations. Its mission focuses on removing barriers between art and urban space. The programming examines urban art through multiple forms: writing, new muralism, street art, and subvertising.
The exhibition marks the start of a partnership between Street Levels Gallery and Ginarte, a Tuscan dry gin brand with an art focus. The collaboration will produce a series of artist bottles, with the first designed by Ache77.
Street Levels Gallery maintains Tuesday through Saturday hours from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Entry to both exhibition spaces costs nothing. Additional information at streetlevelsgallery.com.
Andrea Darren
Born in Manchester, from a young age, she was passionate about art and design. She studied at the University of the Arts in London, where she developed her skills in these fields. Today, Andrea works as an editor for a renowned publishing house, combining her love for art and design with her editorial expertise.