The word Untho
In 1999 I’ve invented a word for my online art gallery at untho.net. Untho is an acronym of first and the last letter of these words: UrbaN TrasH Optimized.“Urban Trash” represented the media that I’ve used to realize my early artworks: cartboards and/or wood objects that I found in the streets.
“Optimized” instead referred to the artwork photos ready/optmized to be published on my online gallery.
The Untho icon
The subjects of my paintings were mainly faces of people living in the city as I was impressed by the signs of the passing of time on their facial expressions. After a year working in my studio I’ve decided to make an icon out of those paintings designing posters and stickers with strong statements summing up my thoughts.
UNTHO IS NEVER TIRED
UNTHO IS FASTER THAN YOU
I started pasting them on street walls and shortly Untho became a street campaign/propaganda project. I’ve pasted thoused of stickers and posters in the streets. I wanted to provoke a reaction to observers, I wanted to make them think about their lifestyle.
︎ Paintings
︎ Untho photos around the world
︎ Google Untho
Untho Manifesto
In 2002 I wrote the manifesto forUntho street campaign.
Untho provokes those who suffer the city rhythms.
Untho interferes in the occupation rules of the visual spaces.
Untho proposes an aesthetic intervention for the freedom of expression in the public space
Provoke, Interfere and Propose
Untho Clothing
Untho was a clothing line from summer 2005 until summer 2011. Catalogs are available to view here.
Untho Clothing developed several collaborations with international renewed artists including Shepard Fairley/Obey.
![]()
Case Study
Untho project has been a "case study" in the following university:
In 2002 I wrote the manifesto forUntho street campaign.
Untho provokes those who suffer the city rhythms.
Untho interferes in the occupation rules of the visual spaces.
Untho proposes an aesthetic intervention for the freedom of expression in the public space
Provoke, Interfere and Propose
Untho Clothing
Untho was a clothing line from summer 2005 until summer 2011. Catalogs are available to view here.
Untho Clothing developed several collaborations with international renewed artists including Shepard Fairley/Obey.
Case Study
Untho project has been a "case study" in the following university:
- IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) Milano.
- University of Padova: “Corso di laurea in Scienze della comunicazione”.
- University of Milano, University "Cattolica del Sacro cuore", “Corso di laurea in Sociologia dei processi culturali” , Milano.
- University of Bologna, “DAMS”.
Images and all contents © Alessio Schiavon 2022