Pizzi Cannella's 'Fontana Ferma' Unveiled in Messina Amid Water Paradox

The Mira – Mediterranean Institute for Research and Arts was presented in Messina with Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli in attendance. The new cultural hub will be housed at Torri Morandi and Villa Pace. During the event, Giuli unveiled Piero Pizzi Cannella's sculpture 'Fontana Ferma,' consisting of four dark vessels. The artist describes it as 'a still fountain like the horizon: immutable and eternal as a painting on canvas.' Critics argue the work resembles funerary urns and fails as public art, blending into the urban landscape of the former Messina fairground. The sculpture's placement in a vast space makes it nearly unnoticeable. A companion piece by Pizzi Cannella was also installed in Reggio Calabria at Piazza De Nava. The article criticizes the lack of community engagement and intellectual discourse surrounding the project, calling it a missed opportunity for contemporary art in Sicily.