Maria Domenica Rapicavoli's 'Intimacies' at Fondazione Brodbeck in Catania

Since September 1, 2017, Catania-born, New York-based artist Maria Domenica Rapicavoli (MDR) has been in residence at Fondazione Brodbeck, a foundation that since 2009 has operated an artist residency program in a former licorice factory spanning fifteen warehouses in Catania. For her exhibition 'Intimacies (Mediterranean civilization),' MDR created an immersive installation addressing the Mediterranean Sea as a site of migration, death, and military surveillance. The installation features a horizon line separating sea and sky above visitors' heads, nylon threads tracing military drone routes from the nearby Sigonella base above, and migrant boat paths below. On the floor, a pumice-dust map of the Mediterranean between Libyan and Tunisian coasts and Sicily is drawn. Sculptural elements include limestone rocks with fossils, incised with map and route fragments. A separate room contains saleable works: three photographic images of the Mediterranean, two identical blue canvases (sky and sea) superimposed in a single frame, and small carved monochrome limestone sculptures. The installation aims to psychologically engage viewers while maintaining an elegant aesthetic, contrasting with the stark reality of migrant landings on Catania's docks nearby. The residency also involves collaborations with students from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Catania through workshops and seminars.