{"id":13633,"date":"2018-10-22T13:17:22","date_gmt":"2018-10-22T11:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arttrav.com\/?p=13633"},"modified":"2018-11-20T08:15:21","modified_gmt":"2018-11-20T07:15:21","slug":"manifesta-palermo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arttrav.com\/it\/manifesta-palermo\/","title":{"rendered":"Manifesta 12: A Biennale to Explore Palermo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manifesta is a European nomadic biennial<\/strong> that, this year, in its twelfth edition, is being held in the Sicilian city of Palermo<\/strong><\/a>. The contemporary art event that runs from June through November 4 2018 takes place in various locations around the city, making use of numerous semi-abandoned spaces filled with densely significant installations; a combination that creates an almost overwhelmingly emotional visitor experience. The movement in and out of these spaces, from the contemplative space inside out to the hubbub of equally stimulating streets that alternate graffiti and rubble with patrician homes, transforms the city into a giant Biennial in which everyone is an active participant, be they aware or not of this fact. I explored Manifesta12<\/a> in between assignments for work alongside my friend and art director of Flod<\/a>, Marco Badiani<\/a>. The words in this article are mine, the thoughts are shared, the photos (mostly) his.<\/p>\n

\"Tutto
Tutto | ph. Alexandra Korey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Founded in Amsterdam in the early 1990s, Manifesta\u2019s initial goal was to \u201cenhance artistic and cultural exchanges after the end of Cold War,\u201d evolving subsequently into an interdisciplinary platform for social change. The choice of Palermo during its role as Italian Capital of Culture in 2018 creates an opportunity for the festival to connect its \u201cmanifesto\u201d to current issues in the Mediterranean, primarily migration<\/strong>. Within this city that historically has always been dominated by other cultures and been subject to the whims of nature (as an island with an almost sub-tropical climate), the theme \u201cThe Planetary Garden. Cultivating Coexistence\u201d opens up a myriad of possibilities to think about the cohabitation of cultures as well as of humans and nature. Below are some reflections on the works that most touched me, in locations that starkly contrast one from the other.<\/p>\n

Palazzo Costantino<\/h2>\n
\"Cinamobile
Cinamobile | ph. Marco Badiani<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This 17th<\/sup>-century private palazzo is located near the famous Quattro Canti intersection of Palermo. A restored fa\u00e7ade gives way to an interior courtyard that reveals a building in advanced state of disrepair; from here you can see into the upstairs, where precious frescoed ceilings are subject to the elements as there are no windows, and surely the stuccoes and maiolica floors aren\u2019t faring well. Opened for the first time two years ago after 60 years of closure thanks to the Bilotti Ruggi d\u2019Aragona family, the courtyard is sometimes used for cultural events like this.<\/p>\n

\"Me
Me in the cinemobile | ph. Marco Badiani<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Parked just inside is the most amazing \u201cVideomobile\u201d by MASBEDO (a collective). A 1970s van has been transformed into a video wagon to visit Sicilian places of cinema, record them and testimonials of their impact, and produce and project film. Visitors sit inside and can watch the group\u2019s multi-channel documentary on three screens. It\u2019s one visual orgasm after the next, with brilliant compositions to learn from and incredible locations, some of which you can visit due to the biennial.<\/p>\n

\"Behind
Behind the curtain of TUTTO (ph. Alexandra Korey)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another piece I liked here is a drape with the word TUTTO, which is all that is left from a performance held at the Quattro Canti in which a series of colourful slips were blasted into the air during a daytime festival that drew from the Palermitan tradition around Saint Rosalia, the city\u2019s patron. Interestingly, the wall text notes that the Tamil community participates in these rituals, an example of integration. Festivals and celebrations are explored here as a \u201ctool to describe a wider system of political, social and cultural environments\u201d.<\/p>\n

Casa del Mutilato<\/h2>\n
\"Casa
Casa del Mutilato – temple front | ph. Alexandra Korey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Numerous Fascist buildings dot the center of Palermo; almost all of them are permanently closed, silent and useless testimonies to a moment that we prefer to forget, in a city that can afford to leave them unoccupied since it doesn\u2019t lack abandoned spaces. The \u201ctemple\u201d part of the Casa del Mutilato was opened for the first time in 70 years for Manifesta12 and we spent quite some time in it. Designed in 1936 as a war memorial and meeting place for war heroes, other areas housed a medical clinic and warehouse and are still in use as offices. The \u201ctemple\u201d was designed in the Rationalist style on the typology of the hypaethral temple (a roofless temple described by Vitruvius) using clear geometric language. Inscriptions glorify Mussolini, while wall paintings glorify the Italian troops.<\/p>\n

\"Embroidery
Embroidery of bombings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The work inside is an impressive project by Cristina Lucas (Spanish) that reflects on the human cost of wars and territorial disputes, including a focus on flight as a weapon. A large banner out front notes Newton\u2019s third law, hanging on the building after having been flown behind a prop plane as part of a performance. A large screen shows a map and images of bombings around the world, showing the tragedy of civilian death in images, as well as in numbers gathered through five years of statistical research. I was particularly touched by an embroidered map of Europe indicating the names of the cities most struck by Allied bombs; contrasting the female and manual medium with the cold hard (male) fact.<\/p>\n

\"Taking
Taking notes in the casa del mutilato | ph. Marco Badiani<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Santa Maria dello Spasimo<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Manifesta12
Manifesta12 at Spasimo | Ph Marco Badiani<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lo Spasimo is a kind of Palermitan San Galgano, an open ceilinged church that actually was this way because it was never finished due to diverted resources in the first part of the 16th century. The roofless church hosts cultural events on occasion while the garden behind is currently hosting a fantastic site-specific work called Cooking Sections that explores the reapplication of ancient Sicilian options for agricultural irrigation using terracotta stones and plants.
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\"Cooking
Cooking Sections second location ! Ph. Marco Badiani<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Botanical Gardens<\/h2>\n

Palermo\u2019s late 18th<\/sup> century Botanical Garden is a marvel any time of year, and particularly so on a warm October afternoon just before sunset (pro tip, bring mosquito repellant). Navigating its avenues lined by centuries-old rare trees, with the sound of tropical birds ringing in your ears, it\u2019s almost hard to distinguish the artistic installations from this man-made exemplar of nature.<\/p>\n

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