The city of Palermo has always been a crossroads of cultures, religions, ideas and traditions since ancient times. An old city that never gets old with a vibrant heart and a restless nature. Palermo’s multicultural soul is world-wide known, that’s why Palermo has been chosen as the host city for the 12th edition of the European Nomadic Biennal Manifesta which is held in a different european city every two years. The European Biennial of Contemporary Art Manifesta was founded in 1994 in Amsterdam and its aim is to improve cultural, artistic and social exchanges through art, promoting cultural interventions and globalisation, to support local communities facing the challenges of our time such as migration and climate change.
Manifesta 12 in Palermo will be the longest running edition among those organized so far and it is about to start: from June 16th to November 4th this year’s theme will be “The Planetary Garden. Cultivating Coexistence”. The curatorial project has been entrusted to OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) which will collaborate closely with Palermitan partners. A great international event that you really can’t miss! Make sure you’ll be there and take a look at our selection of Villas in Palermo and book the perfect holiday home!
The project explores the meaning of the word “coexistence” in a world driven by invisible networks, transnational private interests, artificial intelligence, environmental processes and inequalities that are increasing incessantly through the unique lens of Palermo. The Planetary Garden will host 4 main sections and each one is focused on a key topic of the concept: Garden of Flows, Out of Control Room, City on Stage and Manifesta’s headquarters Teatro Garibaldi hosting a library and a wide program of public events such as debates, workshops, film screenings and Q&A. Other Manifesta’s settings will be Piazza Magione, an important historic square located in the Kalsa district – one of the oldest in Palermo – which will be used as an open space for public presentations and film screenings, the seventeenth-century Church of Euno and Giuliano together with its Baroque Crypt and the Orto Botanico: a real source of inspiration for the entire project which will host one of the four main sections of Manifesta (Garden of Flows) focusing on toxicity, plant life and gardening culture from a global perspective. Manifesta 12 will also launch important projects outside Palermo’s city centre, expanding both to the south and to the north of the city, as in the ZEN district, one of Palermo’s most problematic areas.
Check out the full programme of activities on Manifesta’s 12 Official Site.
Manifesta 12 is a great chance to rethink and reinvigorate Palermo’s international identity, to start a real social change and create the space for a new future. To sum up: a unique way to celebrate the beauty and strength of Palermo and let it be known all over the world, to let you discover Palermo from a different point of view!
Top picture: Manifesta 12 Palermo, Orto Botanico di Palermo, 2017. Photo by CAVE Studio. Source: m12.manifesta.org.
