Viaggio in Sicilia

The Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonino Salinas of Palermo presents, “Viaggio in Sicilia. Maps and Myths of the Mediterranean”, Planeta’s project for Art and the Territory, curated by Valentina Bruschi, with new works by six artists: Marianna Christofides, Gabriella Ciancimino, Malak Helmy, Andrew Mania, Pietro Ruffo, Luca Trevisani.

How can two different themes, such as “maps” and “myths”, dialogue with each other? Myth in Sicily is a constant undercurrent, used since ancient times to explain the majestic natural phenomena, from the sea – that surrounds the three-pointed island, whose triangular shape has fed legends – to the perpetually active volcanoes, from Etna to Stromboli. Maps have an ancient tradition, perfected by Arab geographers. In a continuous line running from the majesty of the Greek temples, clearly visible and impressive to those who came from afar, to the Norman fortified churches, the castles of Frederick II, the geography of these places disseminated the Sicilian territory with symbolic meanings, places of protection and identification. In contemporary art, maps have become one of the many languages of artistic expression, starting in the sixties, from those created by Jasper Johns of the United States to the global ones conceived by Alighiero Boetti. For these artists, scale and precision are of no importance and the entire map becomes a work of art where the places may be recognizable although not represented with geographical accuracy.

  Marianna Christofides (Nicosia, Cyprus, 1980) presents two films related to archaeology and mythology, questioning different historical points of view and she has created a site-specific text-work based on myth and its use in contemporary academic and scientific research. Gabriella Ciancimino (Palermo, 1978) elaborated a map during the trip, subsequently enriched with new elements that refer to some of the maps contained within the ancient volumes of the precious library of the Salinas Museum, one of the most important libraries in Sicily. Ciancimino also presents two sculptures that reference the shape of a boat, ancient symbol of journeys and migrations of men and plants. Malak Helmy (Alexandria, Egypt, 1982) presents a series of sculptures and a sound installation – with music and lyrics – especially created for the garden of the greater cloister, under whose porches and colonnades once members of the religious congregation walked whilst meditating in peace.

  Andrew Mania (Bristol, 1974), fascinated by the perfection of classical statuary, has reworked some images on paper and collage works, whilst Pietro Ruffo (Rome, 1978) has produced a map with paper cut-outs and a globe that references the linguistic richness of the Mediterranean represented in the archeological pieces exhibited in the museum’s Epigraphic Hall. Luca Trevisani (Verona, 1979) presents a new series of his, Notes for dried and living bodies, and a work based on the cast copy (kept in the museum), of the famous engravings of the Addaura caves dating back to about 12,000 years ago and that, for security reasons, are closed to the public. From the museum library, which contains about 25,000 antique books, a rare Atlas dating from the 17thcentury is exhibited in dialogue with the maps made by the artists.

until 10 September 2017
Viaggio in Sicilia. Maps and Myths of the Mediterranean
Curator: Valentina Bruschi
Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonino Salinas, Palermo