Daniela Zangrando's Mantra for a City brings weekly art mantras to Belluno's Museo Burel

Daniela Zangrando, director of Museo Burel in Belluno, has launched 'Mantra for a City', a project conceived during Italy's cultural lockdown. Seven international art figures—British curator Shumon Basar, Meriem Berrada, Francesco Bonami, Lebanese illustrator Tracy Chahwan, Andrea Lissoni, Luca Lo Pinto, and András Szántó—each contribute a weekly mantra displayed on the museum's window. The mantras are reduced thoughts preserving complexity and energy, intended as personal and collective tools in a time of danger and solitude. Zangrando describes the selection process as instinctive, akin to inviting artists for an exhibition. The graphic identity uses the Freak Grotesk Next font, designed by Scuola Open Source in Bari, chosen for its radical simplicity and openness to interpretation. Paolo Tirelli, the museum's graphic designer, creates the window installations based on participants' words. The project has engaged the local community: a woman photographs the mantra weekly to share with friends, people stop by on motorbikes or bicycles, and some share their favorite mantra with the museum. Meriem Berrada, director of MACAAL in Marrakech, noted the need to instill the habit of museum-going. Zangrando's personal mantra includes 'Kiss it quick and raise again' from a post-punk track. The project aims to foster a long-term relationship with the museum.