The final session of the artist residency within the “Creature di Sabbia” (Sand Creatures) project will take place tomorrow, Saturday, May 27, starting at 10:00 AM at the Auditorium of the Sigismondo Castromediano Museum in Lecce.
During this public event, artists and curators will present the works developed during the residency, showcasing the creative outcomes.
"The works will also be enriched by the contributions of Irene Strazzeri, Associate Professor of Globalization Sociology at the University of Salento; Francesca Grisot, PhD in Languages, Cultures, and Societies from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, coordinator of the Migration Commission of the Italian National Association of Professional Anthropologists, President of OdV 2030; and Lorena Carbonara, professor of language and translations at the University of Calabria - Concorso Lingua Madre.
The project, funded by the Puglia Region – Department of Welfare, with state resources from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies, falls under the Puglia Capital 3.0 social program. “Creature di Sabbia” is promoted by the Euromediterranean Cultural Heritage Agency in collaboration with Associazione Positivo Diretto, the Polo Biblio-museale of Lecce, the Municipality of Lecce, and Associazione N.O.I Salento.
The residency activities, held from May 23 to 27, 2023, aimed to sensitize and educate both artistically and socially on human rights through art. The densely packed program included workshops, dialectical discussions, and experiential moments, spanning between the “S. Castromediano” Museum and the ex Convitto Palmieri – “N. Bernardini” Library. These events were enriched by multidisciplinary cultural encounters, engaging the entire community.
The project’s focal group comprises four Arab-Muslim artists – students from various Academies of Fine Arts – alongside four peers of similar nationality and religion residing in Lecce. These talented young women were selected from respondents to the call sent to all Academies of Fine Arts and faculties of Arts and Performing Arts in Italy. Among them are Mehrnoosh Roshanaei (Iranian, student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna), Rafika Ferchichi (Tunisian, enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bari), Salma Hilmi (Moroccan), and Khatereh Safajoo (Iranian), both from the Albertina Academy of Fine Arts in Turin.
Additionally, they collaborated with five cultural mediators, including the Afghan sisters Asyra Amani, Latifa Amani, and Maliha Amani, who are interns in the S.A.I. Union 3 Reception Project by Cooperativa Rinascita. Other participants included Nunzia Bushra Todaro, an intercultural mediator from Lecce, and Maryam Barak, a Social Media Moderator at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Rome.
Under the expert guidance of Ettore Bambi, and coordination by Andrea Laudisa and Alice Caracciolo, the participants explored their artistic ideas and projects. They received valuable feedback from Italian educators, experts, and mediators.
The project’s primary goal was to raise awareness about human rights, with a particular focus on women’s rights. It also analyzed the impact of the “Arab Spring,” a movement that challenged enduring authoritarian regimes in 2010. The “Jasmine Revolution,” as it is known, centered around music, poetry, and graffiti as powerful tools for change.
During the residency, the artists collaborated with students from the Ciardo Pellegrino Artistic and Choreographic High School in Lecce. These students demonstrated sensitivity to themes such as social equality, close relationships, gender parity, and the fight against sexist or racial violence.
The works developed during the residency will serve as the foundation for the “CREATURE DI SABBIA” exhibition, scheduled for January 2024.
The project title, “Creature di Sabbia,” draws inspiration from Tahar Ben Jelloun’s novel of the same name. The novel chronicles the life of a woman who, due to societal constraints, assumes the identity of a man. In this pivotal historical moment, the project aims to promote gender equality and empower Mediterranean women through inclusive art, addressing even the deepest wounds of the soul.
CREDITS
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Organizational Secretariat:
Agenzia per il Patrimonio Culturale Euromediterraneo
Email: info@agenziaeuromed.it ; segreteria@agenziaeuromed.it
Project Manager:
Mauro Martina
Email: mauro.martina@agenziaeuromed.it
Scientific/Cultural Project Coordinator:
Ettore Bambi
Email: ebambi@gmail.com
Residency Curators:
Andrea Laudisa
Email: and.laudisa@gmail.com
Alice Caracciolo
Email: alicecaracciolo@aol.com
Press Office:
Gioia Perrone
Emanuela Perrone
Phone: +39 393 912 2997; +39 347 6717597
Graphic Design:
Valerio Nicoletti / Grupppo
Email: valerio@grupppo.com
