Luigi Presicce's 'La Mamma' transforms former Siena newsstand into aquatic womb

The ex-Edicola di Siena, a former newsstand turned exhibition space in the Terrazze district, presents its seventh artistic intervention with a site-specific installation by Luigi Presicce (born 1976 in Porto Cesareo). Titled 'La Mamma,' the work runs from May 9 to June 20, 2026, at Via Quinto Settano 27A. The installation simulates an underwater environment—an aquarium where 'sea monkeys' live under human gaze. These mythical creatures, sold in sachets in the 1970s for about 12,000 lire, were marketed as mermaid-like humanoids but were actually brine shrimp. The work reappropriates elements of Italian popular culture from the 1970s, exploring the concept of birth. Presicce describes the scene as a mother, naked and fanning herself with a leaf, waiting for her children to mature inside a house-castle that resembles a cathedral or a traditional Apulian trullo. The project is part of 'close-UP #2,' an initiative by the association Giallo Menta, which aims to introduce young people to visual art and culture. The ex-Edicola was established in 2023 by Giallo Menta.