Dialogue with the places of memory

Artistic residencies and exhibitions in places of memory
As part of Millenium 2027 – European Year of the Normans, a program of artistic residencies dedicated to artists from Normandy and other partner territories of the project will be launched.

The initiative will develop through a traveling route among Palermo, Gibellina, Salemi, and Poggioreale, emblematic places of the history and identity of Sicily, united by a deep relationship with memory, landscape transformations, and processes of cultural and social reconstruction.
The residencies will offer artists the opportunity to engage with contexts characterized by strong historical stratification, where tangible and intangible heritage becomes a ground for contemporary research and experimentation. Through meetings with local communities, explorations of the territory, and moments of interdisciplinary exchange, artists will be invited to develop projects capable of interpreting and reworking the relationship between past and present.

At the center of the reflection will be the concepts of heritage, memory, reconstruction, and resilience, understood not as static elements, but as dynamic processes that continue to shape the identity of places and communities. Particular attention will be given to the theme of reconstruction after traumatic events and to the ways in which art can help generate new narratives and new forms of belonging.
The choice of Gibellina and Poggioreale takes on particularly significant value in this context. Both cities are emblematic examples of the ability of territories to reinvent themselves after the Belice earthquake of 1968, transforming the memory of destruction into an opportunity for cultural rebirth and artistic experimentation. Engaging with these places will allow artists to question the very meaning of preservation, the transmission of memory, and the construction of the future.
The program will culminate in 2027 with a major collective exhibition at the Baglio Di Stefano in Gibellina, home of the Orestiadi Foundation and a symbolic place of the meeting between contemporary art, landscape, and memory.

The exhibition will present the outcomes of the residencies and offer the public a plurality of perspectives on heritage and territorial transformations, contributing to strengthen the cultural dialogue between Sicily, Normandy, and the other European partners involved in Millenium 2027.

Practical information

For everyone

Free

Contacts