Art renaissance in the land of the mafia; How did art revive the deserted cities of Sicily?

According to the Guardian; The west of the island of Sicily, once known for its deserted towns and abandoned buildings, is now becoming the emerging hub of contemporary art in Italy. The small town of Gibellina, which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1968, has now been announced as the first “capital of Italian contemporary art”. This transformation is due to bold projects where abandoned monasteries, old prisons and crumbling palaces have been transformed into art galleries, creative studios and modern living spaces. For example, in the city of Favara, a project called the Farm Cultural Park has been able to restore economic life to the area by turning the ruins into art centers.

This artistic movement is not only limited to the display of works, but its aim is to fight the crisis of population decline and create employment through cultural tourism. In Palermo, a monastery that has been abandoned for 30 years is set to reopen as the “Museum of World Cities” by the end of February. Also, the old San Vito prison, which once housed members of the mafia, now hosts art installations that combine memories of the past with a modern look. One of the art activists of the region considers this transformation to be the realization of a dream in which art has become the main driver of the economy, and this is the path in which the historical identity of places is preserved and at the same time, new life is breathed into the bodies of ghost towns.