Giulio Paolini Installation Acquired by Museo Griffo in Agrigento
The Museo Archeologico Pietro Griffo in Agrigento, winner of the 2024 PAC (Piano per l'Arte Contemporanea) call from the Italian Ministry of Culture, will add a work by Giulio Paolini to its collections starting September 5, 2025. The installation, "Vis-à-vis (Amazzone) (3)" from 2019, features two plaster casts of an Amazon head facing each other on white plinths, framed by a wall-mounted canvas with geometric pencil lines. The work references the ancient marble copy of Polykleitos' "Wounded Amazon" at the Capitoline Museums in Rome and dialogues with a 5th-century BCE Attic volute krater in the same museum hall depicting Penthesilea. The acquisition was curated by Antonio Leone and Giusi Diana, led by the Parco Archeologico della Valle dei Templi under Roberto Sciarratta. Paolini, a key figure in Arte Povera, expressed surprise and gratitude for the context. This marks the first time a Sicilian ancient art museum has used PAC funds for contemporary works, following a 2024 site-specific exhibition by Claudio Gobbi. The initiative aims to build a contemporary art nucleus within the archaeological museum.
Key facts
- Museo Griffo in Agrigento acquired a 2019 installation by Giulio Paolini titled 'Vis-à-vis (Amazzone) (3)'.
- The work will be displayed starting September 5, 2025.
- The acquisition was funded by the 2024 PAC (Piano per l'Arte Contemporanea) of the Italian Ministry of Culture.
- The installation features two plaster casts of an Amazon head facing each other on white plinths, framed by a canvas with geometric pencil lines.
- The work references Polykleitos' 'Wounded Amazon' from the Capitoline Museums in Rome.
- It is placed in dialogue with a 5th-century BCE Attic volute krater depicting Penthesilea, also in the museum.
- Curators were Antonio Leone and Giusi Diana; the Parco Archeologico della Valle dei Templi led by Roberto Sciarratta managed the candidacy.
- This is the first time a Sicilian ancient art museum has used PAC funds for contemporary art.
- A previous 2024 site-specific exhibition by Claudio Gobbi was also held at the museum.
- Paolini expressed happiness that his work found a context consonant with its nature.
Entities
Artists
- Giulio Paolini
- Claudio Gobbi
- Polykleitos
- Germano Celant
- Jago
- Stefano Bombardieri
- Pittore dei Niobidi
- Francesca Pasini
Institutions
- Museo Archeologico Pietro Griffo
- Parco Archeologico della Valle dei Templi
- Musei Capitolini
- Ministero della Cultura (Mibac)
- PAC – Piano per l’Arte Contemporanea
- Riso
- Museo civico di Castelbuono
- ruber.contemporanea
- Artribune
Locations
- Agrigento
- Sicily
- Italy
- Rome
- Taormina
- Selinunte
- Gela
- Valle dei Templi