Valerio Rocco Orlando signs 30-year lease for art school in Matera's Sassi

Artist Valerio Rocco Orlando has signed a 30-year subconcession agreement with the municipality of Matera for two state-owned buildings in the Sassi district, where he will establish a new school of arts. The project, developed with Nomas Foundation and Sapienza University of Rome, is supported by Italian Council and the Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity of the Ministry of Culture. The school is inspired by Boaventura de Sousa Santos's Epistemologies of the South and aims to redefine community, territory, and new generations through art. The first phase of research took place in Albania at Art House in Shkodër, studying public education. Future stops include Morocco at the Cinémathèque de Tanger (founded by Yto Barrada) and public schools in Tangier, then Egypt in Alexandria involving the Italian Institute in Cairo. A digital platform, South of Imagination, connects 19 institutions and facilitates interaction among activists, artists, and academics. Orlando's relationship with Nomas began in 2011 with the workshop 'Quale educazione per Marte?' at Liceo artistico Giorgio de Chirico, later expanded to Cuba and Bangalore. The project also references Antonio Gramsci and Ivan Illich.