In cities around the world, electrical street cabinets are often overlooked pieces of urban infrastructure. For Italian-Argentinian art director and illustrator Nacho Valentini, however, they became the starting point for an evolving urban art project that reveals the hidden personalities embedded in the streets.
Valentini’s project, Enelgumeni, transforms electrical cabinets into playful characters by responding to their existing forms. Many of these boxes naturally resemble humanoid figures, with large “heads,” compact bodies, and oversized “feet.” Rather than imposing imagery onto the surfaces, the artist works with these accidental shapes, subtly bringing them to life through color, expression, and minimal graphic intervention.
What begins as a simple observation quickly turns into a visual discovery. Each cabinet becomes a distinct character, quietly inhabiting the urban landscape while inviting passersby to notice details that might otherwise go unseen. The project reframes everyday infrastructure as a field of imagination, turning routine streets into a kind of open-air gallery.
So far, Valentini has created more than 50 characters, scattered throughout the city and continuing to expand as new cabinets are discovered. The growing series suggests that countless other figures may still be waiting to be revealed.
Enelgumeni highlights a playful yet thoughtful approach to urban art. Instead of large-scale murals or interventions that dominate the space, the project works at the scale of the street itself, activating overlooked elements and encouraging a renewed relationship with the urban environment.
More information about the project can be found at www.enelgumeni.com, and updates can be followed on Instagram via @enelgumeni.
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