Mariagrazia Pontorno's Layer #21 at BoCS Art Residency References Alaric's Legendary Treasure

Mariagrazia Pontorno (Catania, 1978) participated in the second edition of the BoCS Art residency in Cosenza, creating Layer #21, a digital collage printed on acetate and mounted in a transparent case. The work references the legendary treasure of King Alaric, said to be buried under the Busento and Crati rivers near the residency boxes. The piece continues her Layer series, which uses graphic software levels transferred to physical supports. Pontorno engaged fellow artists via WhatsApp and Google Maps in a treasure hunt to guess the treasure's location. She noted the residency's transparency invites public engagement, though she observed a gap between the artists and the local community. Future projects include a documentary on pianist Aeham Ahmad, a cargo ship crossing to Brazil for the project Tutto ciò che so curated by Silvana Vassallo, and a trip to Lesbos addressing the humanitarian crisis. The residency, organized by Alberto Dambruoso, aims to contribute to the future Museo di Arte Contemporanea di Cosenza.