Walking through the suburban areas of Palermo is like plunging into an open-air museum, where contemporary art explodes vividly from every corner. The city’s murals are not mere decorations: they are dynamic expressions of cultural identity, historical reflection, and social commentary.
The bold colors and intricate designs that adorn the urban fabric transform ordinary walls into extraordinary artipiece of mural art. Each mural tells a story, inviting residents and visitors to explore Palermo’s past, present, and future in a unique and immersive experience… Today we move from the center to the outside of the metropolitan city, and more specifically to the inland area of Ficuzza and Valle del Sosio: Bisacquino, Campofiorito, Chiusa Sclafani, Corleone, Mezzojuso, Palazzo Adriano, Prizzi, Roccamena where these splendid projects were created:
- “La vita è meravigliosa” of Frank Capra
- “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” of Frank Capra
- “Accade una notte” of Frank Capra
- “L’eterna illusione” of Frank Capra
- “Parabola d’Oro” of Vittorio De Seta
- “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso” of Giuseppe Tornatore
- “The shameful story” of Nella Condorelli
Urban regeneration: the collaboration between Ficuzza and the Valle del Sosio
This summer, the city was further enriched by a collaboration between Ficuzza and the Valle del Sosio, inland from the province of Palermo. The month-long project, from May to June, involved 29 street artists from Italy, Uruguay, Portugal, Argentina, Serbia, Spain, Canada, Germany and the United States. Together, they created the main intervention of the project “iART: il polo diffuso per la rigenerazione urbana delle periferie dei comuni dell’entroterra di Ficuzza e della Valle del Sosio”, abbreviated as iART FIVAS. This initiative includes various activities, including the creation of multipurpose cultural centers, a painting exhibition, the NOMA installation in collaboration with PIF, and the production of a documentary film.
Cinematographic murals: the celebration of award-winning films in the streets of Palermo
Thanks to the iART FIVAS project, colorful murals now embellish the walls of eight municipalities in inland Palermo: Bisacquino, Campofiorito, Chiusa Sclafani, Corleone, Mezzojuso, Palazzo Adriano, Prizzi and Roccamena. These works represent a fascinating blend of local identity and cinematic scenes, taking inspiration from famous Oscar-winning films such as Giuseppe Tornatore’s “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso”, Frank Capra’s “Accadde una notte” and “Mr. Smith va a Washington”, and Vittorio De Sica’s “Riso amaro”.
According to Lucenzo Tambuzzo, creator, designer, and artistic director of the project, the works created for iART FIVAS explore the relationship between cinema, identity, and territory. The murals draw inspiration from actors and directors who have origins in these territories.
Virtual experience: digital artworks for immersive enjoyment
iART FIVAS also creates digital artworks accessible via smartphones, tablets, and PCs… super usable and entertaining although for maximum rendering and experience, virtual reality viewers would be required. The selected artists, all from different European cities, present highly original works. Annika Boll creates interactive virtual walks with contextualized films, and Ada Johnson has created a 360-degree immersive documentary that interweaves personal stories with landscapes, revealing residents’ ties to their land and its cultural impact. Anne Feheres produces an immersive virtual reality video that tells the story of two elderly sisters engaged in the ritual of homemade pasta making. Ioulia Marouda proposes an audiovisual project that explores symbiotic relationships within an aquatic habitat, revealing the complex interactions of life beneath the water’s surface.
The installation “iART NOma” in Corleone: resistance to the mafia
The theme of legality is central to the project and exhibition “Memoriam Iudicorum” by painter Olinda Lo Presti, which presents eleven portraits of Sicilian judges killed by “Cosa Nostra”. These portraits honor the courage and sense of duty of those who sacrificed their lives to fight the Mafia.
In Corleone (Palermo), a symbol of the fight against the Mafia, the iART FIVAS project inaugurated the installation “iART NOma – Luoghi e storie NOmafia”. This immersive and permanent work, with voices of distinguished Sicilians such as Pif, Ficarra and Picone, Teresa Mannino, Tornatore, and Pippo Baudo, recalls the tragic stories of those who sacrificed their lives to oppose organized crime. Produced by the cultural association “Sulle Nostre Gambe” and the association “iWORLD ETS”, the installation was made possible thanks to “Plesh”, a developer of apps and software for interactive events. It will be housed in the “Casa del Popolo” on Bernardino Verro Street, the first socialist mayor of Corleone who was assassinated by the Mafia in 1915.
This project has dual goals: to commemorate the fallen using innovative technologies to reach Corleone’s younger generations and to reaffirm the presence of a solid, anti-Mafia community determined to oppose organized crime. Using innovative technologies and involving prominent public figures, this artwork not only respects the past but also seeks to inspire future generations to continue the fight for a Mafia-free Sicily.
To incorporate this artwork with the improvement of urban decoration, street art, and digital urban art are planned, with the participation of international artists; these activities will not only visually enrich the areas involved, but also help stimulate cultural growth and the attraction of artists from around the world.
A cross-cultural network: dialogue and development for neighborhoods
Enhancing urban-scale performance and services is another focus of the project. This includes developing third-sector practices to foster social inclusion and upgrading infrastructure for social, cultural, and educational activities and services. Workshops and orientation activities are planned to strengthen local skills and support the progress of the communities involved.
The development of a cultural network for the suburbs is a key component of the project, facilitating the aggregation of development processes and stimulating dialogue among architects, local development experts, artists, and other relevant figures. This network aims to become a permanent international forum, promoting dialogue on peripheral contexts and their role in polycentric urban development policies.
Through the international collaboration of artists and the innovative use of technology, this project transformed the city’s streets and walls into a stage of creativity and resilience, demonstrating the power of art to transform and inspire communities.
Although the live street art events in these eight municipalities have ended, the beautiful and inspiring works can still be admired throughout the province of Palermo. Are you in town and want to stay there? Just scroll down to our article on Palermo, culture, art, traditions, and its geniuses, you will find plenty of other art!
