Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo

Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo is a contemporary narrative, an artistʼs book, a surprising journey into a place that we thought we knew. Work began at dawn one Monday morning in September as part of the project entitled The Hidden City, with lights off and museum closed, in order to move through eras and cultures, ancient stories and contemporary visions; to observe works of art, architecture, saloni, courtyards and terraces. The narrative is triggered by the encounter with this unique place – thanks to its architecture coupled with the collections and displays created by Carlo Scarpa – presented through the contemporary vision of the authors. The outcome is a tale that distills the ideas and intuitions of Cloe Piccoli and Stefano Graziani along with those of artists, architects, curators, scholars and art historians. Palazzo Abatellis, Palermo dialogues with the history, mythology and iconography of the museum in Via Alloro, to unveil the potential and vitality of a process that continues to unfold. The itinerary is punctuated by the photographs of Stefano Graziani, who has the special talent of grasping the coincidences in which architectural details, displays, works of art and rays of light all converge.