Palermo's 2018 Cultural Capital Season Opens with Four Exhibitions

Palermo's year as Italian Capital of Culture 2018 is underway with a dense calendar of events through December, including the 12th edition of Manifesta, the itinerant contemporary art biennial, opening June 16. Four exhibitions spanning ancient to contemporary art are now on view. At Palazzo Abatellis, Antonello da Messina's 'Annunciata' and Francesco Laurana's 'Busto di Eleonora d'Aragona' are juxtaposed with Steve McCurry's photograph of Sharbat Gula until April 22. At Villa Zito, Giovanni Boldini's portrait of Donna Franca Florio, purchased at auction for €1,133,000 by the Berlingieri family in agreement with Fondazione Sicilia, is displayed until May 8; recent studies reveal three hidden layers beneath the visible painting. At Museo Riso, from March 22 to April 25, curator Sergio Troisi and Alessandro Pinto present 'La Scuola di Palermo,' featuring Alessandro Bazan, Francesco De Grandi, Fulvio Di Piazza, and the late Andrea Di Marco. At Oratorio di San Mercurio, artist Francesco Simeti creates a site-specific work for the Sacrosanctum exhibition, running March 22 to April 10, curated by Adalberto Abbate and Maria Luisa Montaperto, with proceeds funding restoration.