StickerNation :: International Sticker Network

Feature by Dom Murphy :: Wednesday, October 22, 2003

After a recent meet and greet in Amsterdam, we thought it essential to introduce the uninitiated to the Italian duo, Microbo and Bo130.

You're both based in Milan, Italy. Can you quickly give us a run down on what it's like out there.
BO130: Very fashionable and up market on the surface with a very active but ghettoised underground street art scene. A very contradictory city. But to keep us up... very nice food, very fine ladies.
MICROBO: Usually people's mind associates Milan with design, fashion, snobs as well as a dirty and polluted city (this was also my first impression). I've been living in Milan since 1999; what I realise now is that this town has also an underground scene, which unfortunately is confined to Italy unspreadable all over the world.

How long you both been doing art, street-art and stickers?
BO130: Well, seriously and continuously since '99.
MICROBO: We have started together since we settled in Milan after living in London - it was like to let the people know that we were in town. The streets in Milan are full of tags (it's like New York in the '80's) and the people are really fed up with that... so we wanted to mark the territory in a different way. We started with some stickers and stencils.

What / who got you hooked on doing art in the street?
BO130: My love with graffiti and hip hop culture. The work of Giant. A very static city like Milan, but mostly of the need to use my different skills in a very free and spontaneous way.
MICROBO: Each day you walk on the street it's like being at home. I like to personalise the spaces where I live. It's a normal necessity. The streets are for me, like a big library where you can have an idea of the world in real time. It is where all the people pass by sooner or later: children, teenagers, adults, elderly, intellectuals, uneducated, priests, tourists, immigrants, rich, poor, workers, idlers, business men, housewives, tramps. I like the idea that, in this way, everyone is able to see.

How are your pieces received by other people? What kind of feedback do you get?
BO130: The response is varied. Some ignore it. Some love it to death. Some people stop me to have a sticker. Some stop me and complain. Some contact me through my site address on the stickers to ask which planet my characters came from. Lots of people who are totally unaware about graffiti and the street scene said how much they hate tags but how much they love stickers and stencils.
MICROBO: Mainly people react well; some times I have noticed guys trying to peel off my stickers (hopefully to collect them). When stickers are torn off they are often restuck elsewhere! In Berlin I happened to meet a guy (unknown to me) with one of my stickers fixed on his guitar, which really amused me quite a lot!

How do you make your stickers?
BO130: 3 different ways: By hand drawing each one on various adhesive papers, with the printer on adhesive paper or through a professional printing service.
MICROBO: In different ways: some of them are completely freehand drawings, others are sketches scanned and serial printed but hand cut out and shaped.

You got any tips on making stickers and placing stickers?
BO130: Not particularly. Everyone should find their own way to make stickers and place them. I just try to put them up high so they're harder to peel off. I stick up on signs, electricity boxes and all the grey street furniture.
MICROBO: Use your imagination... enjoy making them... the rest doesn't matter.

Tell us more about the 9th International Underground show. What was it all about. Who was involved?
BO130: The show is annual event with a lot of international guests, exhibitions, graffiti, independent comics - many things to see, buy and collect. This year we had from NYC Seth Tobocman - a comic artist with a strong political message. One of the founders of "World War 3 Illustrated". Also Chris Cardinales, Mac McGill from W.W.3. Also a photo exhibition of anti war in N.Y. from Palestine. 35 works of Naji Al Ali - famous comic artist killed in 1987 (creator of the character Handala). 40 original works of "Ganesh: Special Palestine". And for the first time an exhibition on post graffiti call "Lavori In Corsa" (Works On The Run). A kind of street art / old school / nu school installation. There were stickers, posters & photos from the Italian post graffiti scene. The installation featured Abbominevole, BO130, L'x, Microbo, Pao, Plank, Robot Inc., Osmo, Pus, Tas Movement. Plus original works by Paolo Buggiani from New York (friend of Keith Haring - posters+stickers+paint+spraypaint+stencils). Poster Art by Malleus. And more and more and more...
MICROBO: It was really good fun. 5 thousand people in three days!

Wow - that sounds like a great event and the photos really look good!

There are similarities with your work. How long have you been working together and do you influence each other?
BO130: I see a lot of difference in our work but yes you are not the only one to say that - and in a way it's true. We've got the same flavor and the two styles blend beautifully. We've been together for about 5 years and we've been working together on these things since then. We've done many combined projects and they always work out very well it's a real pleasure to share with your wife the same interests and passions. It makes the relationship even stronger. We influence each other with a lot of love.
MICROBO: We definitely love and respect each other. I'm totally in agreement with him.

I sense you're inspired by comic books and comic art? If so name your top 5 comic books / artists.
BO130: I get inspired by different things but talkin' about comics, I grew up reading lots of them. Lots of Disney at the early age. But between my faves - the Italians Andrea Pasiensa with his mad characters taken from everyday life in Italy during the 1968 period (drugs, politics, sex, youths), Stefano Tamburini and Tanino Liberatore and their "RanXerox". I love Enki Bilal, Danijel Seselj, I like Guido Crepax and Milo Manara's vision of women (he, he, he!). Also The Freak Brothers, Vaughn Bodè's Cheech Wizard... well probably I can go on and on. There are many comic artists with amazing styles as there are amazing illustrators, painters, video makers, musicians, giving me inspiration everyday also.
MICROBO: Mmmm - I could mention hundreds among my favorites... like Bo I've been growing up with Walt Disney and Robot Manga; I love Nick Carter by Bonvi; La Linea by Cavondoli. I read also lots of Martin Myster by Alfredo Castelli and Dylan Dog by Tisiano Sclavi. I can't forget Snoopy, Charly Brown and friends, Alan Ford and the TNT group, the Warner Bros cartoons, Tim Burton's characters, Felix the Cat, The Smurfs etc etc etc etc...

Thanks both y'all that was a really fascinating insight into your work and the work of other great Italian artistsYou got any shout outs?
Big UP 2 y'all... You know who you are.