Here, as part of the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, there is the retrospective exhibition set up under the great vaults of the ZAC with this now classic legacy of igloos, painted animals, neon numbers, metal structures, earth and fagots and where it is It seems really that a lyrical and creative wind blows freely. In autumn, on the other hand, in Turin there is room for meetings, study days, the presentation of a book and a documentary, and finally a party, “because Mario was also a party person, so why not?”.
While we wait to celebrate him properly, here in Palermo the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of Mario Merz’s death begins – it was November 9, 2003. The calendar of events is called “The wind of my home” and begins with the first “personal” exhibition of the Masters of Arte Povera in the city (from June 1st to September 24th). The location – it was said at the beginning – is the ZAC, the contemporary art pavilion managed by the Merz Foundation in Turin since 2021, in the light of a three-year agreement with the Sicilian Municipality, which also occupies Beatrice Merz, Mario’s daughter, President of the organization named after him. “I knew this place, I had come to see some exhibitions, but never again did I have the feeling that it was meant for us.” Then we entered the competition and won. The first time I came back I was like, “Oh my god, is it like this now?”. It’s a very sophisticated space, wide, long and narrow, reminiscent of the Manica Lunga of the Castello di Rivoli (which you have directed in the past, ed.), an experience that makes me think and It helped a lot to set up New exhibitions here».
In the hands of the Piedmontese team, the pavilion was renamed ZACentrale because programmatically it was conceived as a crossroads of paths, relationships and contaminations: between artists, between Palermo and Turin (where “Palermo Mon Amour” is running at the Foundation’s headquarters, photo exhibition). with recordings by Enzo Sellerio, Letizia Battaglia, Franco Zecchin, Fabio Sgroi and Lia Pasqualino) and also among the many souls of the Sicilian capital, a crossroads of ancient buildings and new suburbs, past glory and present-day needs. “If art didn’t appeal to society, it wouldn’t help much,” explains Beatrice: “We try not to be self-referential, to open up to other communities, to be inclusive. The choice of Palermo should also be read in the light of this belief.”
A friendly city, an “exploding” city defines it, with an immediate “human” feel. The foundation had been active in the capital for years, organizing exhibitions and cultural events, “then the administration called us with the desire to intensify cooperation”. The mayor was Leoluca Orlando and Andrea Cusamano headed the culture department; The municipal leadership has changed, but the fruitful dialogue continues (“The climate is super positive”) and the foundation is confident that the joint work will continue even after the end of the three-year contract in May 2024. “The entire structure and costs of practical administration, from utilities to reception to surveillance, are borne by the city; We take care of the entire artistic planning. The costs are significant, but experience pays off.”
In addition to an extensive program of exhibitions, concerts, theatrical and dance performances, the Merz Foundation Palermo branch hosts training activities, public meetings in collaboration with the other Cantieri alla Zisa establishments, documentary interventions, the birth of a creative incubator, etc. Opening a special library for contemporary art. Mario would have loved all of that.
