Radiceterna: Permanent Library and Project Room at Palermo's Orto Botanico for Manifesta 12

Radiceterna, a collateral event of Manifesta 12, launches May 19, 2018, at the Orto Botanico in Palermo. Curated by Valentina Bruschi and Ignazio Mortellaro with artistic coordination by Vittorio Rappa, the project establishes a permanent library inside the 18th-century Calidarium, supported by Planeta. The book collection, curated by Eveline Wüthrich (co-founder of I Never Read, Art Book Fair Basel), includes donations from national and international publishers. A project room will host exhibitions from May to October: Allora & Calzadilla (May 19), Katinka Bock (July 12), Björn Braun (September 7), and Ignazio Mortellaro (October 10). The project title references Mario Merz's work "Se la forma scompare la sua radice è eterna" (1984), installed outside the Calidarium in collaboration with Fondazione Merz. Over ten years, 37 exhibitions are planned. A publishing series with hopefulmonster (Turin) will document the project. Live performances by Chevel, Kangding Ray, Rrose, and Lucy (Stroboscopic Artefacts label) are scheduled during exhibitions.