Congresses, conferences, exhibitions

24 November 2016. Curatorial concept by: Alessandro Reina, Gregorio Carboni Maestri, Roberta Rizzo, Sasvati Santamaria.
Submitted to: Comune di Palermo, Assessorato alla Cultura.

The proposed exhibition, Il Memoriale di Auschwitz in Italia: la memoria come valore educativo, was conceived as an intellectual and curatorial project aimed at casting renewed light on the singular artistic legacy of Pupino Samonà: a figure both emblematic and defiant within the troubled conscience of twentieth-century Italian art. Through the lens of the Italian Memorial at Auschwitz (designed by BBPR and enriched by Samonà’s visionary contribution), the curatorial team envisioned a narrative tracing the Memorial’s genesis, shaped by postwar idealism, through the ideological transformations of the late twentieth century, and into the precariousness of its status in the present neoliberal age.

Though it never came to fruition, the proposal aspired not to exhaust the story (impossible, since the Memorial’s history remains active, unresolved, and influenced by global socio‑political evolution), but to reactivate it through layered engagement with art, memory, and public reflection. It involved students from the Fine Arts Academies of Palermo and Brera, offering new generations -and diverse publics- a compelling encounter with the ethical and civic resonances of remembrance through artistic practice.

Structured in thematic sections, the project paired two investigative trajectories: 1. A tribute to Samonà’s luminous, formally rigorous, and persistently modern abstract work; 2. A critical historiography of the Italian Auschwitz Memorial - its commissioning by ANED, its creators (BBPR, Primo Levi, Samonà, Luigi Nono, Nelo Risi, Giordano Quattri), and the shifting political-cultural landscape from the 1960s to the 1980s.

At its heart stood the Memorial’s controversial removal from Auschwitz and related questions of institutional neglect, ideological censorship, and public responsibility. The project also brought into dialogue two responses that emerged: Brera’s Glossa and Carboni Maestri’s Glossa XXI, which proposed a renewed museographic future—including conservation measures by ISCR and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, and a possible re‑location of the work to Florence’s Museo della Memoria (former Spazio 3).

The Exhibition Project

1. Context & Rationale: Investigating Pupino Samonà within twentieth‑century utopian aspirations through to early‑millennium neoliberalism, understood via the complex, still‑evolving history of the Italian Auschwitz Memorial. Aware of limitations in time, space, and resources, yet driven by a desire to introduce Samonà’s life and art to a wide public.

2. Artistic & Pedagogical Ambition: Assigning contemporary art the role of transmitting universal values of memory—dialogue and peaceful coexistence—to new generations. The exhibition proposed to recount contemporary history’s moments and protagonists, preventing oblivion and highlighting the contributions of Samonà, contemporary artists, and students from Palermo and Brera.

3. Structure & Thematic Sections:

- Samonà’s abstract oeuvre - formally rigorous and emotionally resonant

- A detailed historiography: ANED’s commission, contributions by BBPR, Levi, Nono, Risi, Quattri, and the political-cultural climate of the 1960s–80s

- Acts of censorship, preservation efforts, and responses by Glossa and Glossa XXI

- Conservation status, restoration projects by ISCR and Opificio, and prospects for relocation to Florence

4. Exhibition Components:

- Original preparatory sketches by Samonà (via Archivio Samonà and Brera);

- New interpretative works by contemporary artists and student contributions, realized through workshops, installations, and public discussions;

- Immersive technologies (3D reconstructions, AR/VR, scenographic structures) reconstructing the Memorial in spatial and emotional terms;

- Documentaries: Cronaca di una deportazione (Silvana Maya), La memoria che resta (Francesca La Mantia), accompanied by the audio of Luigi Nono’s Ricorda cosa ti hanno fatto ad Auschwitz.

Specific Objectives: Prevent the Memorial’s oblivion, emphasize Samonà’s painterly contribution and contemporary student involvement, prompt reflection on collective memory, monumentality, and issues of artistic protection.

Secondary Objectives:

- Publicize ANED’s academic‑memorial work;

- Foster tolerance, respect, and memory through art;

- Educate in the language of contemporary art;

- Enhance local cultural programming and Palermo’s attraction;

- Support diverse Italian artistic expressions;

- Engage families and younger audiences in cultural exchange;

- Highlight the conservation efforts of MIUR, ISCR, MIBAC, Tuscany Region, Florence and Palermo municipalities;

- Include disadvantaged and disabled communities;

- Strengthen intergenerational and intercultural dialogues

Target Audiences: Students (first year of middle school onward), youth, adults, elderly -Palermitans and non‑community members- especially disadvantaged and disabled groups. Project activities would have been led primarily by local staff to ensure broad engagement in Palermo and beyond.

Proposed Activities:

- Technical‑scientific seminars, interpreting the 2017 project “Avoiding Oblivion of the Italian Auschwitz Memorial” with public and private sector participation.

- Street dedication: the Comune di Palermo planned to dedicate a street to Pupino Samonà in connection with the project.

- Exhibition period: transdisciplinary display from January to March 2017, inaugurated on 27 January 2017 (Holocaust Remembrance Day), at Fondazione Sant’Elia, Palermo.

- Inauguration event: hosted in a foyer staffed by hostesses and attendants, direction overseen by the curator’s designated coordinator; included live performance of Luigi Nono’s work.

- Guided visits & collateral meetings: educational programming for schools, facilitated by teachers and civic figures through thematic lectures onsite or nearby.

Exhibition Design Outline:

- Foyer & Bookshop: Reception, security, bookshop service, visitor-data collection; Furniture: desk, shelving, leaflet stand, data terminal, attendant chair; Visual communication (banners, totems, tabloid stands) to frame visitor experience;

- Main Exhibition Hall: 5 airbrushed artworks (150×200 cm + one 151×593 cm); 22 colour plates (55×120 cm); 30 interactive AV workstations (~40″); 30 explanatory panels (100×70 cm); 1 passive AV station (~100″) for ANED documentaries; Audio installations; Space requirement: minimum 100 linear meters; Site assessment: fixings, isolation, traffic flow, lighting, etc.;

- Inauguration Logistics: Visitor flow from foyer to hall, with two hostesses and security staff; Ceremonial coordination and live musical performance;

- Educational Visits & Lectures: School involvement with guided tours and civic lectures.

Guiding Questions: What is the Memorial? What happened (censorship, intellectual struggle)? What were the proposals (Brera’s Glossa, Carboni Maestri’s Glossa XXI)? What followed (eviction, ISCR intervention)? What lies ahead (relocation to Florence)? Why this exhibition? How would it have been realized? When? Who is it for? What would be shown?

The propositions were never realized for economic reasons - but they were formally recognized by Mayor Leoluca Orlando, who expressed gratitude for the curators’ civic and cultural commitment. Let me know if you’d like further refinements, deeper stylistic alignment with Lionel Curtis, or any additional detail restored.