Fondazione Malutta Brings Christmas Art Invasion to Pereto

On December 7, 2017, the collective Fondazione Malutta will activate the Abruzzo village of Pereto with a participatory art project called Maluttaklaus. The group, formed by artists trained at Venice's Accademia di Belle Arti and IUAV, will distribute hundreds of ceramic, das, and salt-dough sheep (10-30 cm) to residents, creating a living nativity scene. The objects will remain on display through the Christmas season. The event culminates in a procession led by painters Thomas Braida (Gorizia, 1982) and Valerio Nicolai (Gorizia, 1988), who recently had a show at smART in Rome. The initiative follows the summer Straperetana marathon (mid-July to mid-August 2017), which saw 15 artists occupy the village with photographs, paintings, sculptures, and performances. Both projects are driven by gallerists Paola Capata and Delfo Durante of Monitor in Rome (also founders of Granpalazzo) and curator Saverio Verini. Capata describes working in decentralized locations as 'splendid,' noting Abruzzo's uncontaminated landscapes and the need for contemporary art to take root. The team plans to repeat the event two or three times a year, with the next appointment in spring-summer 2018, aiming to create a network for contemporary art in Abruzzo.