Spaziocentotre: New Contemporary Art Space Opens in Palermo

In Palermo, a city preparing for its 2018 role as Italian Capital of Culture and the upcoming Manifesta biennial opening June 16, a new contemporary art space called Spaziocentotre will launch on March 16. Located above the long-standing Fecarotta Antichità antique shop at via Principe di Belmonte, the space is the initiative of the younger generation of the Fecarotta family—Francesco, Beppy, and Maria Giulia. They aim to bridge antique and contemporary art, a vision shared by curator Christian Caliandro, who emphasizes collapsing temporal and spatial divisions. The inaugural exhibition, "Southern Blend," features Alessandro Neretti (known as Nero, born 1980 in Faenza) and his ceramic sculptures alongside antique objects from Fecarotta's collection. Neretti's work, described by Caliandro as a precious update of Italian metaphysics, reclaims traditional ceramic processes. The Fecarotta family's history dates back over two centuries: the founder was a goldsmith at the court of Francis I of Bourbon (1777-1830), and the firm opened in 1866 on corso Vittorio Emanuele, serving Palermo's bourgeoisie, nobility, and European travelers. Fecarotta Antichità itself began in 1961.