Farm Cultural Park transforms Favara into a Center for Art Lovers
Photos courtesy of i-Italy.org
An innovative husband-wife team invested in a small Sicilian town and transformed it into a European – possibly international – artistic hub. The Farm Cultural Park of Favara was established in 2010 in the province of Agrigento. The town itself is the gallery – its walls are used as large canvasses, and sculptures appear in the walkways and corners of the antique, once-forgotten town.
Andrea Bartoli and his wife Florinda Saieva came up with the idea for the museum after deciding to set up their home in Favara. Bartoli has been called a young Lorenzo De Medici for his dedication to supporting artists (i-Italy.org). Walking through the open museum is a surreal experience as the new works of art juxtapose the historical landscapes. The museum has held many exhibitions and performances in its seven small courtyards, which include bars, stores and a food shop. New temporary exhibitions are set up every four months, and guests can tour galleries, meet artists and sign up for creative workshops and activities with children.
Farm Cultural Park has made Favara a major tourist attraction, which was the main goal of Bartoli and Saieva when they first opened up the museum. The city was once a symbol for the mafia, but is now a center for new art. It’s committed to social development and is currently fundraising to renovate Palazzo Miccichè to host the first children’s museum in Italy. The British blog, Purple Travel, has ranked Farm Cultural Park one of the top 10 places for tourist destinations for contemporary art after Florence, Paris, Bilbao, Greek Islands and New York City.
The inspiration for this creative gallery came from three places: Marrakech, Camden Town and Palais de Tokyo in Paris. The garden in the museum is dedicated to Marrakech, a city in Morocco that contains many museums and festivals celebrating art and culture. Camden Town in London is known for its market where products from around the world can be found, and Palais de Tokyo is a building dedicated to showcasing contemporary art.
-Meki Shewangizaw
