Same same but different: dual exhibition in Merano and Palermo explores 'us' and 'them'

The exhibition 'Same same but different' runs simultaneously at Merano Arte and Museo Civico di Castelbuono in Palermo, curated by Laura Barreca and Christiane Rekade. It brings together six artists—three from South Tyrol and three from Sicily—to examine concepts of identity, borders, and difference. Works include Claudia Barcheri's enlargement of the Italian Republic logo from ID cards, Cristian Martinelli's mirrored cube camera capturing border landscapes, and Ignazio Mortellaro's installation on pre-unification measurement systems. Studio++ presents 'Navigare', a series of postcards from a cruise ship webcam showing similar-looking yet geographically diverse locations. Ingrid Hora's videos and performances feature South Tyrolean milkmaids and Castelbuono's donkeys used for waste collection since 2007. Loredana Longo's work 'NOI / LORO' uses bricks to form the words, highlighting the constructed nature of otherness. The project involved historians, curators, and breeders to contextualize each region's culture.