Words Without Action Poison The Soul

The cultural associations Connecting Cultures and Isole present “Words without Action Poison the Soul” by the artist Eva Frapiccini.

Part of the official programme of Palermo European Capital of Culture 2018 and starting concurrently with the opening of Manifesta12, the photographic installation is the fruit of a participatory project that engaged historical archives and mafia think tanks, relatives of the victims, schools, and libraries in Palermo and in the rest of Italy, in a journey to research the figures that characterized the fight against the mafia from the 1970s to the 90s.
The approach chosen by the artist focuses on the personal and intimate dimension that is seen in the testimonies of magistrates, journalists, trade unionists, police inspectors, and private citizens who have spent their lives battling the mafia. Through photographic documentation the project highlights everyday tools, such as speeches, registers, notebooks, and other notes that have been collected and stored in many private archives. The artist’s work is therefore an archive in progress, which, through an accessible, searchable and engaging installation, invites the public to delve into the daily life of these individuals. The artist’s analysis focuses in particular on the relationships between the lines of inquiry that were pursued either at the same time or years later by various people. These leads were interrupted as they constituted a threat to mafia trafficking; and the artist reminds us that people have been killed precisely because they were far too virtuous by way of their Action.

The exhibition will be open; Jun 15 – 17, 9am – 1pm, 3:30pm – 5:30pm; Jun 16 – Aug 30, Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9am – 1am, Wed 9am – 1pm, 3:30pm – 5:30pm.