The 2024 edition of. will open on June 22nd in Modica Welcome To Paradise famous contemporary art district organized among the alleys and abandoned houses of the Monserrato district of Modica thanks to an idea by the Brazilian artist Marcel Cordeiro.
An edition that already from the title “Francesco World” It looks really special. The tribute is to Pope francesco in a last supper in which he will act as waiter for the guests, the work of theartist Andrea Pancinowhich becomes the symbol of this edition.
“Through our works and inspired by the Pope’s thoughts – explains the artistic director Marcel Cordeiro – we will talk about war, peace, mercy, ecology, spirituality, immigration, artificial intelligence, the elderly, the LGBT+ world, feminicides, abandonment, misery, hunger, disability, happiness”
This year, in particular, the neighborhood will be transformed for an entire month with installations by 28 artists, into an open-air museum: from June 22nd to July 22nd Monserrato it will be the large park of “Francesco World”, an itinerary designed around the hottest current issues interpreted through the gaze of Pope Francis, the first Pope in history to write a book on art and to expressly attribute to artists a fundamental role in promote dialogue between peoples and the recovery of essential humanity. “This project around Pope Francis – adds Cordeiro – gave us the right energy to give new life to Welcome To Paradise, which resumes its journey with the weekly edition after a seven-year break. Starting again after so many years is fascinating! Many things have changed, society is constantly evolving and getting back to involving the public on these issues through art is now more than ever a great challenge. Communicating, exciting, questioning, surprising, disturbing are the levers through which artistic language can light people’s hearts and invite them to share, to participate. All the more reason we want to do it not only around Pope Francis but around an urban regeneration project which once a year brings people to an almost completely abandoned neighborhood which suddenly comes back to life with the colour, ideas and energy of our works”.
Artists, photographers, intellectuals, architects, activists make up the heterogeneous working group that will give life to the Welcome to Paradise exhibition itinerary this year: in addition to Cordeiro himself, Najla Hassen, Franco Menna, Gabriela Costache, Simona Giuliano, Flavia Puglisi, Andrea De Carvalho, Luca del Guercio, Demetrio di Grado, Andrea Mario Bert, Calogero Arcidiacono, Simone Mastrelli, Stefano Caruso, Francesco Nicastro, Giò Scifo, Pamela Vindigni, Andrea Pancino, Franca Lambiase, Mark Cannata, Rosa Cerruto, Marco Grifola, Elisa Corallo, Noemi Guastella, Carmen Scarso, Lorenzo Sammito, Stefania Pagliazzo, a collective of artists formed by Patrizia Bonvissuto, Antonella Floridia, Ausilia Ruta, Carmela Saturnino and a collective of artists formed by prisoners of the Sollicciano prison (Florence) .
Appointment at Saturday 22 June at 8pm in Modica for the grand opening party of Welcome to Paradise!
