Agostino Iacurci's participatory installation with Elica factory workers in Cerreto d'Esi

Agostino Iacurci (Foggia, 1986) created a permanent participatory installation titled 'Fiori diversi al naturale' (2024) at the Airforce headquarters of Elica group in Cerreto d'Esi, Marche. The project won the 22nd edition of the Ermanno Casoli Prize, curated by Marcello Smarrelli. Iacurci involved both executives and 100 employees in the creative process, asking them to produce graphic works. The installation features painted panels with plants and shrubs, alongside employee drawings, and draws inspiration from E. E. Cummings' poetry collection 'Tulips and Chimneys' (1923) and the work of 17th-century painter Francesco Mingucci (1570-1642). Workshops were held with art historian Domitilla Dardi and curator Smarrelli to create a 'collective portrait' of the company. The artwork aims to foster encounters in shared spaces and strengthen belonging, with the painted garden symbolizing change through seasonal transformations. Iacurci, known for community art projects including at Saba School in Sahrawi (2009) and Rebibbia prison (2011), intentionally omitted human figures, instead displaying employee drawings that come to life when workers pass through. The curator described the result as a 'living garden' of real and painted plants that will grow over time.