Gianfranco Meggiato's labyrinthine installation opens in Matera

Italian artist Gianfranco Meggiato (born 1963 in Venice) has unveiled 'Il Giardino di Zyz (splendente)' in Matera, a labyrinthine installation covering over 500 square meters. The work consists of 5,000 sacks in peace colors arranged to form a hand pointing toward the city, with six sculptures—'Il Volo', 'Triade', 'L'attimo fuggente', 'Oltre', 'Soffio della Vita', and 'Incontro'—guiding visitors on a spiritual journey. No map is provided, emphasizing personal discovery. The hand symbolizes sharing, intercultural and interreligious dialogue, welcome, and protection. The installation's central motto, 'Tutto è Uno', appears in over thirty languages. Meggiato, who received the ICOMOS-UNESCO award in 2017 for blending ancient and contemporary in evocative sculptures, continues his focus on social themes. This follows his 2018 intervention 'Spirale di Vita' in Palermo during Manifesta 12, dedicated to mafia victims. Curator Daniela Brignone describes the work as encompassing history, culture, religion, and human experience through a sacred and sensory path leading to individual liberation from constraints and prejudices. Matera was the European Capital of Culture in 2019.