Manifesta 12's Education Hub Deploys Retrofitted Bus for Community Outreach in Palermo

The 12th edition of Manifesta, the itinerant contemporary art biennial opening in Palermo on June 16, has already activated its Education Department with programs targeting local communities, youth, and schools. Among its initiatives is Education Hub, a mobile platform housed in a decommissioned bus transformed by students from the University of Palermo and the Academy of Fine Arts, coordinated by Madrid-based ENORME Studio. The bus will tour Palermo throughout the biennial, hosting site-specific interventions, performances, workshops, meetings, screenings, guided tours, and digital educational projects. The project is promoted by DGAAP – Directorate General for Contemporary Art and Architecture and Urban Peripheries of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, and will launch on June 15 at Piazza Magione. DGAAP Director Federica Galloni stated that Education Hub combines two key DGAAP objectives: promoting contemporary art in Italy and abroad, and contributing to the regeneration of urban peripheries through targeted cultural interventions. Galloni emphasized that contact with culture and art can significantly impact citizens, especially youth in educational poverty, restoring curiosity and ambition. She noted that the project involves artists directly, leveraging their experience to voice phenomena of change, and expressed hope that Palermo will use Manifesta 12 as a model to re-imagine its future.