Instances intertwining with tenderness, delicacy, and compassion. An instance that caught me, dissolving me into its serene equilibrium of a fervent community of productivity and spirituality. It was a bright morning in Como. I was drinking a delicious vegan cap- puccino and listening to the patient and content professor that was teach- ing the secrets of his profession to attentive students. Before Cometa, I had created art concepts with Latin American artists, spurred by the fresh and solar energy typical of Panama, Mexico, and Co- lombia over a span of a few years. Fascinated by a primordial nature, I was driven to support and develop projects, such as the preservation and thickening of rainforest trees, a project that I have also presented in New York. I have furthered this zeal by also working alongside artists imbued with this primordial spirituality. These artists operate through unique me- diums such as the Kuna of the islands of San Blas that bring to life Molas, an art style embedded with vivaciously colored cloth and depictions of artists’ vibrant traditions. This was a strong Latin energy that distanced me from the beauties of my own Sicily. A series of serendipitous events caused me to rediscover my own Si- cilian roots. A Palermitan committee asking me to capture artistic photo- graphs of Sicilian palaces and villas, transformed through my own imag- inative eye, led me to the meeting with Stefano Pirrone, a collectionist of a sensible and innovative spirit, which put me into contact with Cometa Formazione, and the Oliver Twist school. The charismatic gure of Erasmo Figini, UNESCO award-winner and Cometa founder, as well as his magical community transmitted to me a secure sense of energy, donning me with a strong message: Art does not need to have statically arrived in a foreign ivory tower through a social impact but rather should reside in the daily.
Driven by this realization, I brought to life alongside Massimo Ferrarotti, in the Bentley space, the showcase “Spirituality in the material”. The monoliths will comprise pages of a complex narrative that include: the essence of the Oliver Twist school, symbol of artisanal excellence for its design of textile, carpentry and catering. This is a realm where students reside in an atmosphere of sensibility and kindness, learning not only a trade but also how to soak in one’s own culture and respect the environment around them, a skill that incites them to use recycled material as a popular art medium. The theme “Spirituality in the material” is undertaken by various important Sicilian artists that have interpreted the theme to their own artistic minds: Giacomo Rizzo with his force of sculptures renowned across countries; Fulvio Di Piazza, painter considered an innovator on an international scale; and Francesco Lauretta, painter strongly intellectual and spiritual that with his depictions of Sicilian processions contrasts the style of Di Piazza. The Panamanian artists, Oswaldo de Leon Kantule with a spiritual and naturalistic language and the young Andres Silvera with a graffiti style language, don their own interpretation to evoke a strong message reinforcing the alarming state of today’s environment and climate. Lastly, Daniela Forcella and Corrado Sprea co of Medielanum Art Gallery, who will give their own spiritual and material interpretations to their own monoliths. At the Salone del Mobile there will also be presented two artistic treasure chests created in limited editions (200 items), under the concept of Tiziana Serretta in collaboration with Gandolfo Brancato.
The unity of the treasure chest with the oil takes a metaphysical meaning, in which the sculpture encloses in of itself the synthesis of the fusion between var- ious and at times contrasting dominations, in which the Olive Tree challenged numerous dominations while remaining the perennial symbol of Sicily. It was a pure serendipity when Daniela Bas, the Director of the Divi- sion for Inclusive Social Development (DISD)/DESA at the United Nations (UN) in New York, appreciated the initiative that is in line with the Agenda 2030 which aim is to promote with its 17 goals (Sustainable Development Goals) policies of sustainable development. Art and fashion can contribute to stimulate interest on issues of social inclusion of youth in vulnerable situations and at the same time raise awareness on topics of social sustainable development, climate and the environment. In a joint event the United Nations, Tiziana Serretta / Cometa and Dominika Zak / United for All Peoples will bring the experience of the Salone del Mobile to the Unit- ed Nations Headquarters in New York to share good practices.
”The only way to truly understand who you really are and unlock your full potential is to face as many challenges as possible”