Guilmi Art Project: Transforming Ceramic Waste into Community Art

Since 2007, the Guilmi Art Project (GAP) has been fostering community-based art in the small mountain village of Guilmi, Italy. The latest residency, "Fuochi. Per ribaltare simboli" (Fires: To Overturn Symbols), features artists Grazialba di Summa and Juan Esteban Sandoval Arango, curated by Federico Bacci, Lucia Giardino, and Martina Macchia. The project challenges the linear logic of waste by experimenting with local clay and discarded ceramics, including pig manure, a nod to the village's famous ventricina production. From July 30 to August 6, 2026, the artists and community members, including children and the local Libyan community, collected broken ceramic objects, ground them into powder, mixed them with local clay, and fired them in an ephemeral kiln. The resulting works were exhibited at La Pitech, with some objects returned to their makers. The project also involved a workshop, "Terracotta," supported by Studio Racciatti-Rodas, focusing on the transformation of wild clay. The initiative highlights the cultural and economic implications of recycling, questioning why ceramics are deemed non-recyclable, and fosters a sense of belonging and collective value.