Alfredo Jaar's Blue Box Performance at Demanio Marittimo 2016

The sixth edition of Demanio Marittimo.KM-278, held overnight on the beach of Marzocca in Senigallia, Italy, featured a performance by artist Alfredo Jaar, presented for the first time in Italy. Jaar's work consisted of a simple blue cardboard cube with the word 'Oper here' on one side; when opened, it revealed a photograph of an empty beach—later identified as Bodrum, Turkey, where the image of the drowned child Aylan Kurdi was captured—along with instructions for donating to an NGO aiding refugees. The box became the event's iconic image, distributed to the public by volunteers. The festival saw record attendance, with highlights including panels featuring architects Daniel Libeskind and Mario Cucinella, photographer Olivo Barbieri, and a Skype conversation with Jaar from Santiago, Chile, moderated by Christian Caliandro on migration and borders. Other talks covered graphic design studio LeftLoft, the A,M,O residency project by Sponge Artecontemporanea, and a tribute to Andrea Pazienza. The event was curated by Cristiana Colli and Pippo Ciorra.