“Paesaggi Aperti” opens new horizons in urban contexts

The itinerant journey of Paesaggi Aperti continues in Sicily, between Catania and Palermo, between the collective expression that redesigns the Etna neighborhoods and the interaction of Mediterranean artists among the streets of Palermo.

The “The architecture of the soul” event in Catania involved the community in a walk in the Librino district of Catania. Step by step it was clear how much Education on Beauty and respect for places has an impact on the development of urban fabrics. Between the Butterfly Gate, the Knowledge Gate and the Beauty Gate, the protagonists were the monumental installations which over the last twenty years have transformed the face of the neighborhood thanks to the generations of Etna who have alternated actively participating in the realization of the great work of Land Art, today a sign of redemption for Librino, the neighborhood with great potential that has always been labeled as peripheral. The work is the result of the sowing of the patron Antonio Presti (president of the Fiumara D’arte Foundation) who with the MAGMA project, Librino’s open-air museum of the image and contemporary art, introduced an important reflection on the theme of urban redevelopment of the neighborhood and has placed its attention on a vision of the landscape as a spiritual dimension, which finds its manifestation in the affirmation of the value of Beauty.

The event was organized by IN/Arch Sicilia with the support of the Order of PPC Architects of Catania and the respective Foundation and was attended by Mariagrazia Leonardi (President IN/Arch Sicilia – Open Landscapes), Giuseppe Messina (Secretary of the PPC Catania Order) and Eleonora Bonanno (President of the PPC Catania Architects Foundation).

«This experience of comparison – explained the patron Antonio Presti – which also involved professionals, opens new horizons on the Architecture of the Soul and gives breath in the spaces of the suburbs to a spiritual metaphysical dimension, to act on the path of sharing and find its meaning in the embrace of the Librino community.” The day ended at sunset with the lighting of the works of Lighting design by the artist Fabrizio Corneli who illustrated the shadow art installations (shadow art) on two large facades. All the activities involved the inhabitant community.

During the event “The neighborhood I would like. The city of children” – which took place at the Istituto Comprensivo Campanella Sturzo di Librino in Catania – Paesaggi Aperti activated the workshop with the little ones to motivate them to build the future of the community: between collages and colours, the pupils of different age groups of age were encouraged to reflect on the potential of their neighbourhood, they expressed their wishes to make it more livable with art and creativity.

The activities inspired by Antonio Presti were conducted by Paolo Romania, by the architect Martina Pappalardo and by Mariagrazia Leonardi (president of IN/Arch Sicilia). The workshops with the students will continue with the creation of ceramic works of art that will embellish some spaces in the neighborhood.

«The processes and case studies analyzed – stated Mariagrazia Leonardi – show us how it is increasingly urgent to involve communities in the processes of transformation of the urban landscape so that we can reacquire the sense and pride of belonging to a place where we lives.”

Again in Catania with the support of Di3A University of Catania – inside of the Landscape Design and Redevelopment Laboratory of the Master’s Degree Course in Protection of the Territory, Environment and Landscape – and of the Antico Corso Popular Committee, some future landscape architects visited the Antico Corso, focusing attention on the state of the public green areas for a possible redesign.

What opened the activities in Palermo was the discovery of the city with “Ready Steady Go! … discovering and connecting with Palermo”: an exploration conducted by Lucia Pierro (In/Arch Sicilia – Open Landscapes) with the participation of 14 artists and cultural operators from various southern Mediterranean countries. The activity was organized with Roberto Cimetta Fund and Amunì.Paris as part of the “Ready Steady Go!” project. which promotes the mobility and internationalization of young artists and cultural workers based in remote areas of the Mediterranean. «In Palermo – explains Lucia Pierro (IN/Arch, Phd PoliMi, AutonomeForme) – the Paesaggi Aperti project looks at the city as a place of interaction between multiple stories and cultures that can take on a crucial role in urban regeneration».

The Palermo stage continued with the involvement of Lucia Pierro as one of the leaders of the “One to one” workshop aimed at exchanging experiences between cultural and artistic operators in the Mediterranean with a focus on the impact of cultural activity on urban regeneration and development of communities. Paesaggi Aperti will stop again in Palermo with a seminar and a regeneration laboratory dedicated to the multicentric, multiperipheral and stratified city by an aggregation of different communities that need to be networked.

In the Antico Corso district of Catania, new events will take place – on 20 and 27 April at 9.00 am – at the Bastione degli Infetti to involve citizens and technicians in a discussion of thoughts on the possibilities of redeveloping the interstitial spaces connecting the area. Speakers: Mariagrazia Leonardi, Francesco Mannino (President of Officine Culturali), Salvatore Castro (President of the Old Corsican Popular Committee), Giulia Sanfilippo (DICAR, associate professor of Restoration, University of Catania), Giuseppe Lanza (architect, Old Corsican Popular Committee), Veronica Leone, Eleonora Bonanno, Ignazio Lutri (urban planner, IN/Arch Sicilia), Silvia Porcaro (landscape designer, freelancer), Cecilia Alemagna (architect, IN/Arch Sicilia).

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