Marta Fontana's 'Formiche di mare' Public Art Installation in Carloforte
On June 30, 2024, the public art installation 'Formiche di mare' by Marta Fontana will be inaugurated on the ancient Molo San Carlo in Carloforte, Sardinia. The work, commissioned by the municipality in 2020, honors the 'galanzieri'—men who transported lead ore (galena) by boat from the Sulcis Iglesiente and Guspinese mining areas to the island of San Pietro. Fontana, who moved her studio to Isola di San Pietro twenty years ago, created a relational artwork involving community collaboration. The installation features a Corten steel structure inspired by the 'bilancella' boat, with an impluvium filled with galena fragments and limestone, a bench made of iroko wood, and a sculptural element referencing the heavy baskets carried by the galanzieri. The project was curated by Efisio Carbone, director of the MACC Museum in Calasetta, and includes QR-code-accessible documentation of the process. The inauguration starts at 11:00 AM at Molo San Carlo.
Key facts
- Marta Fontana's 'Formiche di mare' public art installation inaugurated June 30, 2024.
- Located on Molo San Carlo in Carloforte, Sardinia.
- Commissioned by the Comune di Carloforte in 2020.
- Honors the 'galanzieri' who transported galena (lead ore) by boat.
- Fontana moved to Isola di San Pietro twenty years ago.
- Installation includes Corten steel structure, impluvium, iroko bench, and sculptural element.
- Curated by Efisio Carbone, director of MACC Museum in Calasetta.
- Project documentation available via QR code at the site.
Entities
Artists
- Marta Fontana
Institutions
- Comune di Carloforte
- Museo MACC di Calasetta
- Artribune
Locations
- Carloforte
- Isola di San Pietro
- Sardinia
- Italy
- Molo San Carlo
- Sulcis Iglesiente
- Guspinese
- Calasetta