Gio Montez Wins Premio Creature 2018 for Leading Rome’s Most Impactful Urban Art Laboratory
Goethe Institut in Rome, May 2018 — Artist and cultural innovator Gio Montez has been awarded the prestigious Premio Creature 2018 for having led one of the most significant and participatory urban art experiments in Italy. The award recognizes the creative direction of Atelier Montez, a grassroots cultural space founded and guided by Montez in the historic working-class district of Pietralata, Rome.
Award Ceremony Held at Goethe-Institut During Open House Rome
The recognition was conferred by Open House Rome, an international initiative that celebrates architecture, design, and civic engagement by opening the doors of normally inaccessible public and private spaces. During the official ceremony held at the Goethe-Institut in Rome, Gio Montez received the award alongside curator Marcella Magaletti, who contributed to the development of Atelier Montez’s cultural programming.
bottom-up urban regeneration
The Premio Creature celebrates the best creative practices that transform urban space through art and community engagement. Montez’s vision for Atelier Montez has established a model for bottom-up urban regeneration, where citizens become active participants in reshaping their environments through culture. Through exhibitions, performances, residencies, and public interventions, the space has become a living lab of artistic production, social innovation, and architectural repurposing.
contemporary art and collective empowerment
By reclaiming an abandoned industrial site and turning it into a thriving contemporary art hub, Montez has demonstrated how creativity can drive social cohesion and revalue overlooked urban zones. This award highlights his long-standing commitment to blending contemporary art with collective empowerment, making Atelier Montez a case study in participatory cultural planning.
The Premio Creature 2018 reaffirms the vital role of independent cultural actors in redefining the identity and accessibility of our cities, proving that art can be a powerful engine for both transformation and inclusion.