Baskets full of gold carobs, to symbolize wealth (not only economic) and growth of the territory, will be crossed by a long swarm of ants that will multiply along the entire exhibition environment and continue their path outside, until they break into the square, where the former Carmine convent stands. This installation, signed by Emilio Isgrònext May 5th will unmistakable the inauguration in Scicli (one of the capital of the Sicilian Baroque) of the Macc, Carmine contemporary art museumfinally restored after many years of closing. And it will welcome, from the outside, visitors by directing them to the anthological of the artist of the cancellations, born in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto in 1937, who, in addition to the installation, will present works that narrate his creative journey since the 1960s.
Isgrò self -defines himself as a Sicilian citizen of the world and reiterated him in explaining the choice of ants (he cares like bees) When he created this new work “Site-Specific” (as they say today): “I am an Italian and Sicilian artist, a citizen of a Europe that needs an art not aligned to make a contribution not purely decorative to a world in turmoil. So I thought of this “work of ants” as a sign of a Sicily faithful to itself which however knows well when the time came to change. No longer the figinia or the work of the puppets, no longer the Sicilian rhetoric, but the humble ants that offer their industrious intelligence in support of a country that must enter whole all in Europe if it wants to weigh something ».
As always, Isgrò goes beyond the actual art and does not forget (and does not make you forget) that it is also a poet, writer, playwright and journalist. Also because of the latter feature, when it comes to him, the temptation to cite him continually in quotes is always strong. And, in fact, here is another quote, taken from an article that, for this occasion, wrote on Corriere della Sera, in which (it should be said?) He still erases, in this case also history and geography: “Then, when the masterpieces of these two writers were born (it refers to Sciascia and Tomasi of Lampedusa, NDA), it was known well where the North was and where the South was. Rather, a great south of the world is looming that turns the history and geography together. Sicily has become, in fact, the north of that south oil where God was born and where wars are made in view of a peace that sooner or later will have to come ».
This premise will help visit the exhibition, entitled “The work of the ants” and curated by Marco Bazzini and Bruno Corà. There will be the first “newspaper articles” of 1962, the first cancellations and “extracted letters” of the seventies up to the most recent “deletion in red”. And still works from private collections, such as Gallerie d’Italia-Interesa Sanpaolo, or-continuing-the work “Do not crush me please”, dedicated to the kindness, created for the Amplifon Foundation, sponsor of the exhibition, the new set-up of “Do not kill” (made with a sculpture by Mario Botta), from the Maxxi collection of Rome, symbol of peace, and the sculpture “La Lumière de la Liberté ».
The Scicli Museum will celebrate this awaited reopening with a series of events, including the presentation of the catalog, published by Allemandi, dedicated to the anthologica of Isgrò, which will remain open until November 3. The need to retrace the stages of a long conceptual journey, which also this time (all the more with the previous quotes in the hand) I am convinced of defining “art of awakening”, an invitation to think and use the past, more or less canceled, to re-see present and future.
