ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Per Barclay's Milky Installation at Palermo Oratory

exhibition · 2026-05-05

Norwegian artist Per Barclay (b. 1955, Oslo) has transformed the 17th-century oratory of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria in Palermo into an immersive installation titled 'Bianco Palermo'. The single nave is flooded with milk, creating a reflective surface that captures the baroque and neoclassical architecture, including polychrome marbles, vault paintings, and stuccoes by Procopio Serpotta. Large-format photographs document the ethereal white expanse. Curated by Agata Polizzi, the exhibition runs until November 26, 2016, at Francesco Pantaleone Gallery (Via Vittorio Emanuele 303).

Key facts

  • Per Barclay is a Norwegian artist born in 1955 in Oslo.
  • The installation is set in the 17th-century oratory of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria in Palermo.
  • The work involves flooding the single nave with milk.
  • The milk surface reflects the baroque and neoclassical architecture.
  • The stuccoes are by Procopio Serpotta, son of Giacomo Serpotta.
  • Large-format photographs document the installation.
  • The exhibition is curated by Agata Polizzi.
  • The exhibition runs until November 26, 2016.
  • The venue is Francesco Pantaleone Gallery at Via Vittorio Emanuele 303, Palermo.

Entities

Artists

  • Per Barclay
  • Procopio Serpotta
  • Giacomo Serpotta
  • Agata Polizzi

Institutions

  • Francesco Pantaleone Gallery
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Oslo
  • Norway
  • Palermo
  • Italy
  • Santa Caterina d'Alessandria
  • Via Vittorio Emanuele 303

Sources