Virgilio Sieni's 'Cerimonia' Unites Gibellina as Italian Capital of Contemporary Art

Gibellina, the Sicilian town rebuilt after the 1968 Belice earthquake, was named Italian Capital of Contemporary Art for 2026. In May, choreographer Virgilio Sieni (born 1957 in Florence) and his Cango National Dance Production Center led 'Cerimonia', a participatory performance project involving residents of Gibellina, Salemi, Santa Ninfa, and Salaparuta, as well as adolescents from a recovery community, the town band, and local musicians. Workshops ran from May 11 to May 30, 2026, culminating in a final performance on May 30. The procession began at Piazza Joseph Beuys at sunset, passed buildings by Pietro Consagra (Meeting and Teatro) and the Sistema delle Piazze designed by Franco Purini and Laura Thermes, ending at the Ex Chiesa di Gesù e Maria designed by Nanda Vigo. Participants carried rubble as symbols of the past. Four public 'Svelamento' events preceded the finale in each involved municipality. Sieni's team included Maria Vittoria Feltre, Beatrice Gatti, Vanessa Mattei Scarpaccini, Giulia Mureddu, and Andrea Palumbo. The article notes that Gibellina, despite its open-air museum status, lacks signage and public transport to sites like Burri's Cretto and the Museo delle Trame Mediterranee, which hosts Mimmo Paladino's Montagna di Sale. The author suggests Sieni's community-based approach could help reconnect residents with their artistic heritage.