Planeta’s “Viaggio in Sicily # 9” is the first nomadic artistic residence in Italy

The first nomadic artistic residence in Italy will be held among the vineyards of one of the most important wine regions in Italy and the world, and its historic winery. It is the winery Planeta’s “Journey to Sicily # 9”. This ninth edition of the brand’s project has recently seen artists traveling and visiting the beautiful and greatly diverse Sicilian territories that host its wine Estates, getting inspiration for their art works that will be shown in a collective exhibition in Palermo, in 2022.
The main players of the journey, curated by Valentina Bruschi, are the artists, Bea Bonafini (Bonn, 1990), Gili Lavy (Jerusalem, 1987), Emiliano Maggi (Rome, 1977) and Diego Miguel Mirabella (Enna, 1988), accompanied by the photographer, Matteo Buonomo and the writer, Chiara Barzini, on a journey through the lesser-known Sicilian territories of the company's six estates: Ulmo in Sambuca di Sicilia, Dispensa in Menfi, Dorilli in Vittoria, Buonivini in Noto, Feudo di Mezzo on Etna and La Baronia in Capo Milazzo.
The title of the 9th edition of the project is, “Coppe di stelle nel cerchio del sole- Chalices of stars around the circle of the sun”, inspired by some especially evocative verses by the Arabian poet, Ibn Al-Qattâ (Sicily, 1041 - Cairo, 1121), also mentioned by the anthropologist, Antonino Buttitta on the relationship between Sicily and the culture of wine. Historians have acknowledged that Islam occupied Sicily was a significant period of development that left an extraordinary cultural imprint in agriculture, engineering and art. For instance, Sambuca di Sicilia is where the first vineyard the Planeta company planted is located that the Arabs founded in the 19th century and named Zabut, and which still preserves traces of Islamic origin. The artists visited the territories in Sicily where Arab influences are still maintained, experiencing the flowing nature of Sicilian culture, the result of centuries of intercultural intertwining, accompanied by the photos of the photographer, Matteo Buonomo (Cinisello Balsamo, 1991), and the comments of the writer, Chiara Barzini (Rome, 1979). It is an unusual Sicily, amongst its extraordinary artistic, historical and natural heritage, from Arab vestiges to lava skiing, and the grape harvest on Etna. It is an agricultural ritual that for thousands of years has represented the viable relationship between man and nature following alternating seasons, and expressing the regenerative force of the environment, i.e., an example of how man can and knows how to take care of the territory.