Fernando Schiavano's 'Subcolonial' Transforms Lecce's Abandoned Agip Station
The abandoned Agip gas station in Lecce, Italy, has been transformed into an art space through the project 'The Feelings of Things, Actions and Thoughts on Public Space,' curated by Maurizio Buttazzo and Marco Petroni. The initiative aims to raise awareness about urban regeneration through artistic interventions. The first intervention, 'Subcolonial,' by Salento-born artist Fernando Schiavano, was inaugurated on December 21, 2018. The work covers the 60-square-meter interior walls with printed paper panels combining signs and images, creating an immersive, dreamlike environment. Schiavano describes 'Subcolonial' as a color or a set of dreamlike signs that resist full recall upon waking. Curator Marco Petroni notes that Schiavano's recurring theme is 'crossing'—traversing time and space through signs, shadows, and images. The project repurposes a former parking lot, now illuminated by a generator, symbolizing art's capacity to revitalize neglected urban spaces.
Key facts
- Fernando Schiavano inaugurated 'Subcolonial' on December 21, 2018, at the ex Agip station in Lecce.
- The work consists of printed paper panels covering the 60-square-meter interior walls.
- The project 'The Feelings of Things, Actions and Thoughts on Public Space' is curated by Maurizio Buttazzo and Marco Petroni.
- The initiative aims to promote urban regeneration through artistic actions.
- Schiavano's work explores memory, dreams, and the crossing of time and space.
- The ex Agip station was previously an abandoned parking lot.
- The space is now illuminated by a generator, symbolizing the light of art.
- The project seeks to counter postmodern capitalist degradation and uncontrolled tourism.
Entities
Artists
- Fernando Schiavano
Institutions
- Artribune
Locations
- Lecce
- Italy
- ex stazione Agip di Lecce