Vandalism of Giuseppe Lana's 'Crossover' at BAM-Biennale Arcipelago Mediterraneo sparks political controversy in Palermo

Giuseppe Lana's public installation 'Crossover' (2019), featuring four mechanical traffic barriers in a square formation, was destroyed by vandals during the second edition of the BAM-Biennale Arcipelago Mediterraneo in Palermo. The vandalism followed a Facebook video posted on 7 November by city councillor Fabrizio Ferrandelli of the +Europa party, who criticized the work as a 'seemingly dysfunctional arrangement of road barriers' and questioned its legality and purpose, despite an adjacent description identifying it as art. Ferrandelli, who placed second in Palermo's mayoral elections in 2012 and 2017, sent a letter to Mayor Leoluca Orlando of the Partito Democratico, posted in the video's comments, further disputing the installation's artistic nature. This rhetoric stirred online antipathy, though no direct link between the video and the unidentified culprits has been confirmed. In response, culture councillor Adham Darawsha stated that while discussion of contemporary art is welcome, violence is unacceptable, and Mayor Orlando's administration highlighted the role of cultural initiatives like Manifesta 12 in fostering unity and economic development. The incident raises concerns about populist dismissals of culture and accountability for false statements on social media, echoing recent testimony by Mark Zuckerberg to US Congress. Fondazione Merz is funding the restoration of 'Crossover', with plans to reinstall it promptly.