Sislej Xhafa's 'Infermeria' at Palermo's Cantieri Culturali
Sislej Xhafa (born Pejë, 1970) presents 'Infermeria' at the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa in Palermo. The project occupies a disused, dilapidated infirmary within the former industrial complex. Visitors begin at the large Zac pavilion, where they receive a health booklet created by the artist, serving as a pass to access the old infirmary where injured workers once received first aid. The journey from the hangar to the infirmary mirrors the migrant experience: leaving a hostile place for a hoped-for safer haven. However, the infirmary is dark, obsolete, and unusable, leaving visitors suspended and disoriented, caught in a game whose rules only the artist knows. The work invites reflection on displacement and precariousness.
Key facts
- Sislej Xhafa created 'Infermeria' for the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa in Palermo.
- The project uses an empty hangar and a dilapidated former infirmary.
- Visitors receive a health booklet designed by the artist as a pass.
- The infirmary was originally where injured workers received first aid.
- The work parallels the migrant experience of moving from a hostile to a safer place.
- The infirmary is presented as dark, obsolete, and unusable.
- The project was realized in 2017.
- The work involves a disorienting journey between two spaces.
Entities
Artists
- Sislej Xhafa
Institutions
- Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa
- ZAC (Zisa Art Contemporanea)
Locations
- Palermo
- Italy
- Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa