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MANIFESTA 12 PALERMO
identity, printed matter, 2018
Taking inspiration from Manifesta 12 curatorial concept “The Planetary Garden. Cultivating Coexistence”, Mousse Agency has given form to the syncretism and of the systems of flows that are conceptually nurturing the making of the biennial.
Phytomorphic and urban elements blossom all over Manifesta 12 Palermo facets.
The duotone images were created by Mousse Agency on original shots by Johannes Bauer, Maria Grazia Grasso, Piotr Niepsuj and Alice Schillaci.
The Planetary Garden: Cultivating Coexistence, Manifesta 12 Palermo explores coexistence in a world moved by invisible networks, transnational private interests, algorithmic intelligence and ever-increasing inequalities through the unique lens of Palermo – a crossroads of three continents in the heart of the Mediterranean. Closely collaborating with Palermitan partners, Manifesta 12 co-inhabits Palermo, an ideal place to investigate the challenges of our time and look for traces of possible futures.
The Planetary Garden: Cultivating Coexistence hosts three main sections, each touching on key topics of the concept – Garden of Flows, Out of Control Room and City on Stage – while inhabiting Teatro Garibaldi as the main centre of Manifesta 12.
Palermo Atlas – published by Humboldt Books – charts a territory at the epicentre of key transformations of our time. More than a city, Palermo is a node in an expanded geography of flows – of people, capital, goods, data and species. Although historically Arab-Norman, the Sicilian capital has been reshaped by recent migrations and now counts Tamil, Somali and Nigerian identities as part of a complex anatomy. Its markets and architecture, nature and ecosystem, harbours and maritime routes make it a laboratory for cross-pollination and an incubator of global conditions. At the same time, Palermo’s controversial modern history has left indelible traces – physical, emotional and political – and a unique legacy of civic experimentation. This study, commissioned by Manifesta 12 and undertaken by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, represents an alternative model for pre-biennial exploration, and is based on an omnivorous collection of stories gathered on the ground, telling of people, places, events and possibilities.
