Starting from May 5th 2024, the citizens of neighborhood of San Cosmo they will be directly involved in the creation of a participatory work of art, created by Bifido, an artist of Campania origins who describes himself as “born in southern Italy, between a volcano and the sea”. Almost as if he had echoes of characteristics that refer to the province of Catania.
The artist from Caserta will be welcomed in Acireale with a community lunch in the neighbourhood, with the involvement of a local scout group. His artist residency will take place from 6 to 9 May with a work to which he will dedicate himself alone.
Bifido’s poster art
Bifido works with photography, paper, glue, paint and walls. He has built his own version of “poster art” and a poetic centered on children. “Growing up is inevitable but forgetting to play is a fate I won’t resign myself to – says the artist from Caserta. And art is my way of not quitting. Making art and doing it in the street is my way of playing with life and with the world, its beliefs and conventions. What I do has something childish about it. He is animated by an instinct for play that is in the world like a builder of sandcastles on the seashore: he creates, the sea destroys, he creates again.”.
Subsequently, from 11 to 14 May, Bifido will collaborate with the residents of San Cosimo for a second work, shared with adults and children. Over the days he will have the opportunity to establish a relationship with the inhabitants of the area, building a relationship of confidence first and then of trust. Necessary elements for a sincere collaboration and, above all, felt by the neighborhood.
In the last days of May, the project “My Cosmos” will continue with the creative writing and podcast creation workshop. This, in five episodes, will contain the “voice of the Cosmos”, and will be uploaded to all platforms and then distributed in June 2024.
Finally, on the evening of June 1st, the community museum will be inaugurated and the elements that have made such a participatory and successful regeneration – from below – of the neighborhood possible will be explained to the community and institutions.
The “My Cosmos” project is created by the Homeless Association, which is its promoter and leader. It is achieved thanks to the victory of the fifth edition of Creative Living Labpromoted by the General Directorate of Contemporary Creativity of Ministry of Culture.
Project partners are the Municipality of Acireale, the association Avaja and the association Analogicand with the patronage ofAutonomous Institute for Public Housing (IACP) of the Acireale district.
Giulia Bella
