PALERMO – It is called the APPA Museum and it is Italy’s first open-air Museum of Art & Poetry, created by Luca Lo Sicco and David Boyd-Carrigan.
More than twenty American and European artists have been selected to create works destined for the votive shrines of the historic center of the Sicilian capital.
On July 30, 2022, at 6:00 PM, the painters, sculptors, writers, and poets involved will be celebrated in an interdisciplinary exhibition at the Museum of Palazzo Branciforte, restored by Gae Aulenti, entitled STANZAE SW I.
“The union of art and poetry aims to create a route through the city,” explains Luca Lo Sicco, co-founder and curator, “with the objectives of representing a ray of sunshine for cultural and tourism recovery; of creating opportunities for encounters between contemporary art and the historical and artistic beauty of Sicily’s historic centers; of calling for moments of reflection and inspiration to become better human beings through images and the troubled lives of the Saints, and through the words of poems dedicated to the city; and, not least, of providing concrete support in terms of visibility and renewal for the community.”
To celebrate the completion of the first project, 20 Saints for the City of Palermo, Luca Lo Sicco and David Boyd-Carrigan organized a series of initiatives around the APPA Museum for the summer of 2022.
The program begins on July 30 at 6:00 PM with the opening of the exhibition STANZAE SW I at the Museum of Palazzo Branciforte in Palermo.
On August 5 and 6, the Connect-Conference The Psychology of Sustainability and Alternative Practices will take place, in collaboration with Fashion Revolution Italia, Fashion Revolution France, and Fashion Revolution Luxembourg.
On August 12, the event 10+10 Plant a Tree will be held.
A second project, entitled Values & Myths, will also be launched in collaboration with Solent University. The project will select works by young artists who will contribute to nourishing the city of Palermo with new creative energy.
“We want to encourage and strengthen the sense of belonging to this city, both for Palermitans and for foreigners who come to visit it,” declares Dr. Luca Lo Sicco.
Votive shrines, in many cases a legacy of ancient devotions and popular traditions, are today at the heart of an open-air museum which—according to the intentions of its founders, who fully financed the project—is ‘a gift to the city of Palermo.’ The museum brings together contemporary art and poetry. It represents a different way of experiencing Palermo and of attracting artists from all over the world to the Sicilian capital.
The journey moves from a Saint Catherine Labouré by artist Alessia Babrow to a Saint Lucy reinterpreted by Agnes Kolignan; from a Saint Michael in jeans and T-shirt (with the word “Life” emblazoned on it) by artist Michael Milunovic, to a Madonna with Child by Greek artist Eri Fragiadaki; from the Peruvian Saint Martin de Porres as seen by Canadian artist Michelle Martinez (one of the works accompanied by poems by David Carrigan), to a Saint Ambrose on panel by Milanese artist Carlo Cut Cazzaniga (one of whose works is already housed at the Palermo Museum at the Renzo Barbera Stadium); from Saint Rosalia by sculptor Filippo Leto to the painter Giovanna Patti’s tribute of roses to the saint; from Saint Sebastian by Ilde Barone to the embrace of the Madonna of Modica, Vasa Vasa by Alessia Scarso, and finally to The Embrace between Saint George and Saint Margaret by Emanuele Mandolfo. The exhibition will open with a poetry reading by artists Alessandra De Luca, Claire Hearn, David Carrigan, Sophia Hembeck, Nikki Kilburn, and Filippo Leto.
The press and friends preview will take place at Palazzo Branciforte on July 30 at 6:00 PM.
All the initiatives are overseen by Greece Needs Love, a non-profit organization founded by Luca Lo Sicco and David Boyd-Carrigan (Lo Sicco-Carrigan), established in London in 2013 and based in Atlanta, Georgia (USA) since January 2016. Greece Needs Love supports the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles, and its mission is to help artists, artisans, and researchers from Greece, or whose work focuses primarily on Greece. The organization supports the production of contemporary Art and Poetry while preserving the environment. The APPA Museum is their third project in Italy.
The mission of Greece Needs Love:
“As Pericles stated in a famous speech, we believe in the nobility of spirit. We make friends not by receiving kindness from others, but by giving kindness to others. Helping others makes us more trustworthy friends, because we then act so as not to lose the goodwill that our help has created. We practice kindness toward others and believe in the spirit of generosity that motivates us. We believe that arts education helps and provides a better future for children; it gives them the ability to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and helps them understand and communicate with the world.”
For more information and high-resolution photos contact:
Greece Needs Love, Inc. Atlanta – The APPA Museum of Sicily
Phone: +44 7594166876 (UK – WhatsApp)
Email: lucalo.sicco@gmail.com
Attention: Dr. Luca Lo Sicco-Carrigan
SOCIAL:
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INSTAGRAM: @appamuseum @lucalosicco @poetdavidcarrigan
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/S2RFjF5Sq5w