Other worlds – The ICBIE meets Sciacca
A little before entering in the olive grove that surrounds Turi’s house, he exclaimed, “Do you see it? A catabusciu!”. That’s the Sicilian name for the African upupa, the little bird that was swaying in front of us, with its characteristic feathers rising straight up from its head, half way between a crown and a hairdo.
Ever since I got to Sciacca, a city that has expanded its province from Agrigento to Salvador de Bahia, thanks to a partnership officially underwritten in 2001, I have constantly discovered African things, as if it were a third continent, necessary to maintain the ties between Italy and Brazil. Signs of this historic and relational mixture are evident in the climate, the food, the sea, in architectural elements, between the inhabitants and in the traditions. Here is a surprising bond: the people of Sciacca and those of Salvador both venerate a female deity of salt water that the people of the sea celebrate with a similar rite on the same day, the second of February. It is Santa Maria of Soccorso in Sciacca (depicted in some paintings as a black Madonna) and Yemanjà in Salvador, the divinity of Yoruba mythology. And more still, there are analogies concerning their carnivals, which parade behind highly elaborate floats going down the streets of the Sicilian city, and similarities in the colors of the buildings that face on to the port, illuminating the return of fishermen before they get back to land.
Last August 24th, the ICBIE was invited to participate at the inauguration of the video-photographic exposition entitled “Sciacca as seen by us,” curated by the young men and women of the association “The Other Sciacca,” with the intent of opening an alternative vision of the city, as seen by those who live in it. Among the multitude of images that filled the incredible setting in the former church of Santa Margherita, there was space to show some pictures from overseas; representing Salvador, in fact, were several authors: Tiago Nonato Silva, Marcella Sgura Viana, Rá Trindade and Celso Manuel Castilla Soto (winners of the photographic competition, “A bola è redonda,” held by the ICBIE during the recent soccer world cup – http://www.icbie.net/a-bola-e-redonda/); photographs by Federica Rella, Monica Bernardi, Ivanildo Viana Sgura, Renato Ferrantini, Maxiemiliano Ruas, Louisa Marie Summer and Daniela Nascimento, instead, helped to show the esthetic and cultural parallels between the two twin cities. The initiative’s success involved representatives of Sciacca’s city government, who showed interest and willingness to contribute to future projects, aiming to reinforce the institutional ties between the two worlds, also with the help of our Institute.
A few days after the exhibition close, the first success: in Sciacca will be inaugurated, with a possible show in Rome, an exhibition of works by Menelaw Sete, the well known Bahian artist who several years ago donated more than thirty works to the city, during a visit to the island. Once again, the ICBIE discovers synergies and channels in the arts and in culture, multiplying its noble actions, common objectives and cooperative projects.
Special thanks go to “The Other Sciacca,” where we rediscover our research for another Salvador and of all the other possible worlds, and to Turi (our partner Salvatore Dimino), who shares not only his name but above all his warm embrace acolhedor.
Valeu!
Loona
HYPERLINK “http://www.laltrasciacca.it/
http://www.menelawsete.com/
