In Palermo, within the historic spaces of Palazzo Sant’Elia, the major exhibition “Pinakothek’a. From Cagnaccio to Guttuso, from Christo and Jeanne-Claude to Arienti. Works from the Elenk’Art Collection” has been extended until July 20. Over 200 works and 153 artists were selected by curators Sergio Troisi and Alessandro Pinto from a body of more than 400 pieces belonging to the Elenk’Art collection of the Galvagno family.A rich and evocative exhibition unfolds across three floors, retracing over a century of art history—from the 1920s to the contemporary scene. As Troisi and Pinto explained, «the second floor is entirely dedicated to contemporary art and to movements that have already become partly historicized, such as the Transavanguardia (Sandro Chia) and the Roman group Officina San Lorenzo. Ample space is given to the Sicilian scene, particularly the so-called School of Palermo».
Installation view “Quadreria”, Palazzo Sant’Elia, ph. Fotografi associati. Courtesy Elenk’Art
Various historical and thematic nuclei guided the exhibition layout, following a chronological progression. «At Palazzo Sant’Elia, a great chapter of the 20th century takes the stage, brought together through the extraordinary Elenk’Art collection. A journey through the last century in images, made accessible to the public thanks to the collaboration between public and private sectors», states Angela Fundarò, Vice President of the Foundation. Indeed, this exhibition is the result of an extensive collaboration with Francesco Galvagno and his remarkable collection, shown to the public for the first time. The project was born from a joint initiative of the Sant’Elia Foundation, the Metropolitan City of Palermo, and Elenka, with the patronage of the Sicilian Regional Assembly (ARS), the Regional Department of Tourism, Sport, and Entertainment, and the City of Palermo. It was produced in collaboration with three public partners: the Teatro Massimo Foundation, the “Alessandro Scarlatti” Conservatory, and the Academy of Fine Arts of Palermo.
Installation view. To the left: Opere di Christo and Jeanne Claude. To the right: Hermann Nitsch, “Senza titolo”, 2014, ph. Fotografi associati. Courtesy Elenk’Art
This significant synergy has brought to the historic halls of Palazzo Sant’Elia high-profile works by artists such as Christo, Arman and César, Oppenheim, Nagasawa, and Nitsch. The Austrian artist Nitsch’s Untitled (2014) is an imposing piece, evoking a sense of solemnity through its seemingly silent presence—black pitch-like tar streaks cut across a massive canvas, featuring a hint of a minimal crucifixion marked by an enormous, almost mummified t-shirt. The exhibition gives special attention to neo-avant-garde movements and painters of reality, particularly Bruno Caruso, represented by a significant body of works that explore a grotesque, almost caricatural vision of power. One striking image is a Hamlet-like skull that prefigures death, suggesting the end of life beyond power. This section synthesizes 20th-century artistic research, from the 1960s with Kinetic Art and Analytical Painting to the object-poetic climate of Pino Pascali and the pop sensibilities of Mario Schifano. Meanwhile, the attic level features the School of Palermo, a selection entirely dedicated to contemporary painting. Here, painting is presented as a dimension of mystical and dreamlike revelation, as in the two large works by Francesco De Grandi—Gemma Y (2021) and Il passaggio difficile (2011); as a historical vision with Francesco Lauretta’s remarkable painting Mirò (remix) (2017); as a fantastical vision in the sci-fi landscape of Guerilla (2019) by Syracuse-born artist Fulvio di Piazza; or as a humorous take on time and conventional fashion in Lo svago (2024) by Giuseppe Borgia, with its three anthropomorphized monkeys.
Installation view of the Immersive Room with the wallpaper Unicorn by Francesco Simeti, photo by Fotografi Associati. Courtesy of Elenk’Art
Finally, two multimedia contributions complete the exhibition. The first is the Immersive Room—curated by students from the Academy of Fine Arts of Palermo, from the New Technologies in Art course—dedicated to Unicorn (2014) by Francesco Simeti. Using digital technology, the space reproduces the wallpaper pattern created by Simeti for the Elenka offices. Visitors enter a small room where multimedia projections depict a botanically inspired natural landscape, flowing with Simeti’s painterly elements and accompanied by birdsong. At the center of the room, a swing with a Beckettian feel invites visitors to sway in this digital exotic garden. The second multimedia project is the projection of an original and entertaining “Elenka Newsreel,” directed by filmmaker Salvo Cuccia for Elenk’Art. Shot on Super 8 film and using the language of avant-garde cinema with ironic flair, it retraces the steps that led to the creation of “Pinakothek’a.” A unique exhibition with an equally distinctive concept, it captures Palermo’s contemporary spirit in a dynamic syncretism that fuses historical reality and technological dimension.
Info:
PINAKOTHEK’A
Da Cagnaccio a Guttuso da Christo e Jeanne-Claude ad Arienti.
Opere della collezione Elenk’Art.
Curated by Sergio Troisi e Alessandro Pinto
24 November 2024 > 20 July 2025
Palazzo Sant’Elia, Via Maqueda 81, Palermo
www.fondazionesantelia.it
Through art she feels the need to get closer to nature, deciding to create an artistic residence on Etna as a “refuge for contemporary art” for artists and scholars. Thus was born Nake artistic residence. She won the Responsible Etna Award 2015. In 2017, she was invited to the Sala Zuccari, Senate of the Republic, as an art critic. She writes for Italian and foreign artists. Curator of the first Museum of Contemporary Art of Etna and of the “Contemporary Etna” project.
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