AGATA UNICT

AGATE. From Christian icon to contemporary myth. The treasures of the regional museums at Palazzo dell'Università.

The exhibition hosted in some rooms of the Museum of Sicilian Knowledge and Mirabilia, on the ground floor of the precious headquarters of the University, is dedicated to the theme of the patron saint of Catania. The exhibition welcomes some representations of Agatha linked to very different cultures and artistic fields, a sign of how wide and varied the spread of her cult is. The exhibition brings together valuable paintings belonging to the galleries of the Sicilian Region (Regional Gallery of Sicily Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo, Regional Gallery Palazzo Bellomo in Syracuse, Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina, "Agostino Pepoli" Museum in Trapani), ceramic objects from the Regional Museum of Caltagirone ceramics, works from the Castello Ursino Civic Museum and the Archdiocese of Catania, specifically from the church of Sant'Agata al Borgo and of the SS. Peter and Paul, as well as works from the University collections and kept in the University Rectorate. The exhibition is completed by photographs and sculptures by contemporary artists inspired by the figure of the Saint and the feast selected by the OELLE Ancient Mediterranean Foundation combined with an olfactory installation. The exhibition, conceived and organized by the Superintendence for Cultural and Environmental Heritage of Catania in collaboration with the University of Catania-University Museum System and with the OELLE Ancient Mediterranean Foundation, can be visited with free admission from Monday to Friday, from 9.30 to 13.30. For groups in the afternoon by reservation. The exhibition is open until 31 October 2022.

The contemporary works are a tribute to Sant'Agata and her city, a transversal and contagious devotion which, not surprisingly, goes beyond all geographical and social boundaries. Devotion to Agatha has become an artistic and scientific project of the Oelle Mediterranean Ancient Foundation which aims to tell the uniqueness of this religious and popular festival through a permanent archive that collects multiple testimonies with particular attention to the languages of art. These are parallel stories that point to a "different" vision of the Agatha cult, placing the emphasis on the relationship between Agata and the streets, Agata and the sounds, Agata and the visions of a city without filters. The works on display, the selection of which was curated by Carmelo Nicosia, are by Nicosia himself and by Carmelo Bongiorno, Giovanna Brogna Sonnino, Carmen Cardillo, Ursula Costa, Ezio Costanzo, Gaetano Gambino, Angelo Iodice, Egidio Liggera, Giovanna Lizzio, Nicola Pecoraro , Ivan Terranova, Anna Tusa, Aldo Zucco. The installation "The fragrance" is by Antonio Alessandria.