ART & COMMUNITY IN PALERMO
An act of relational art on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Saint Rosalia
4 - 6 October, 2024
The act of relational art ‘Filando Pellegrinando’ (Spinning Pilgrimage) invites women who have been victims of violence in Sicily, young people in vulnerable situations, or individuals involved in social/cultural projects, to reflect on the balance between the need for protection on the one hand and the need for freedom on the other. During the three activities scheduled to take place in Palermo, Sicily, participants will use drawing, embroidery, words and a pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Saint Rosalia to discuss the difficulty of receiving protection and safeguarding without simultaneously losing or severely limiting their own freedom. The action will conclude with the screening of the documentary ‘Filando Pensieri’ (Threading Thoughts) by Diana Quiroga, followed by a panel discussion. The three activities will be documented. A short documentary will be published along with a text, between October and December, attempting to foster discussion amongst the local community. The action yields ways creating to rebuild the social fabric.
The project is a continuation of the act of relational art ‘Rammendare Vuoti II,’ (Mending Voids II) facilitated by Tere Chad and Rossella Puccio in October 2023, at the Biblioteca delle Donne e nel Centro di Consulenza Legale di UDI Palermo (Women's Union Library) as part of the Neo Norte 4.0 programme, which offered a moment to reflect upon gender violence. The Mexican anthropologist Claudio Lomnitz, who analyses the situation of violence in Mexico, speaks of the concept of the ‘Geography of Silence’: which refers to when the entire community is aware of the situation of violence, but no one dares to speak. In this context, it is hard for the people who are experiencing violence to escape from her/his condition. Relational art can become the media, through a participatory action, it can address complex issues and build awareness around the complicity silence hinders when searching for a solution.
Later, in January 2024, during the performance ‘Trame Condivise’ (Shared Plots) showcased with the youth of the Albergheria as part of the 20-year project ‘Formare I Giovani dell’ Albergheria’ (Training young people from the Albergheria’s historical central borough in Palermo) by the Rotary Club Palermo Est, at the Church of San Giovanni Decollato, Tere Chad observed the difficulties faced by vulnerable youth in expressing their experiences, identifying art and performance as possible tools for greater integration into the social fabric.
PROGRAMME:
Activity 1 - Friday, October 4, 2024, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Relational art action: Sewing the balance between freedom and protection, Piazzetta San Nicolò all’Albergheria
Activity 2 - Saturday, October 5, 2024, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Relational art action: Pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Santa Rosalia at Monte Pellegrino, with the participation of Lucina Lanzara and the choir ‘Voci vicine’ (Meeting point to be confirmed)
Activity 3: Sunday, October 6, 2024, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Screening of the documentary ‘Filando Pensieri’ (2023) by Diana Quiroga Church of San Giovanni Decollato - APS ‘Parco del Sole’ followed by a Panel Discussion, with contributions from Fabio Tulone, President of Rotary Palermo Est, Lidia Maugeri, Project Manager ‘Formare I Giovani dell’ Albergheria,’ Tere Chad, artist; speakers: Anna Ponente (Centro Diaconale La Noce), Rossella Puccio (Museo Sociale Danisinni); moderated by Nino La Spina (Sociologist).
CONTACT: segretario@rotarypaest.it terechad@hotmail.com
