MACTE Museo di Arte Contemporanea di Termoli announces the winners of the 62nd Premio Termoli, curated by Laura Cherubini.

The Premio Termoli, established in 1955, is one of the longest-running artistic event in Italy that brought to Termoli some of the most important artists of the late twentieth century, and confirms itself as centre of research and experimentation for the future.

The jury for the Visual Arts Section, composed of Laura Cherubini, Caterina Riva and Andrea Viliani, awarded the traditional prize to a work chosen among twelve works in the exhibition: Oro Colato–As the gospel truth by Bruna Esposito, which entered the MACTE’s permanent collection of the Premio Termoli.

Starting with its title, Oro Colato, Bruna Esposito’s work rediscovers the value of the illumination of the word and its power of covering and protecting the most fragile aspects of our lives, explains the jury. The installation, accompanied by a performance with the poetess Paola D’Agnese, which also involved the public of the exhibition, transports us “by enchantment”, reuniting us with each other and intertwining our common roots.

From this edition, the historic section of the Premio Termoli is enriched by new tools to promote and spread contemporary art: the new exhibition prize, which consists of the realization in 2022 of a solo exhibition and the publication of a monographic catalogue by the winning artist, goes to Renato Leotta. “Embrace the processuality of matter in its becoming, elaborate and also fill the voids and pay attention to what can go unnoticed, surrender to the long, slow time of the ecosystem in which we live, give yourself the sensibility of the silence and solitude to listen, observe and express the relationships among each manifestation of life: to these qualities and specificities of the research by Leotta, Fondazione MACTE and Molise offer themselves as ideal laboratory of new experiences and tales”, these are the reasons of the jury.

Finally, the winner of the prize of the public is Giuseppe Stampone, an artist who, through a wise and prolonged handiwork, restores body to the liquid images of the web and makes contemporary the history of art. The votes were collected at the museum among the visitors of the exhibition of the 62nd Premio Termoli between 19 May and 29 August.

For the Architecture and Design Section, introduced for the first time this year put forward the design of a series of bus stop shelters which will cover the route of the urban public service network, the jury composed of da Laura Cherubini, Domitilla Dardi, Paolo De Matteis Larivera, Angela Rui and Andrea Viliani awarded the first prize to the studio About • architecture & photography of Giuditta Matarrese and Annamaria Santarcangelo (Bologna), with the following motivation: “the project TE.trix responded in a relevant and innovative way to the construction techniques, aesthetic characteristics, choice of use of materials with possibility of reuse and recovery and level of feasibility. It also qualified as the most voted project by the public."

The jury has also considered to award other highly deserving designers among the finalists.

Four honourable mentions are awarded to the projects La porta by Atelier Biagetti (Milan), Melting Spot by Agostino Iacurci (Berlin), T®ABUCCO by Riccardo Previdi (Zurich) and Vedetta by Studio Strato (Rome), their prototypes of bus stop shelters will be designed as a unique piece and located along the public transport routes, in significant points of the city identified by the designers, Fondazione MACTE and the city of Termoli.

Finally, a special mention prize is awarded to Pietro Airoldi and Michele Maria Cammarata (Palermo) for Nuvole thanks to “the imaginative ability to provide a light system, an open work, a hardware of architectural components that can be combined in an endless catalogue of variations, without losing their poetry and function, supporting the impermanent relationship among individuals, objects, city and atmosphere.” The project will kick off, through a written project decided between Fondazione MACTE and the architects, reflecting on the relationships between art, architecture, design and urban space.

With the support of the Molise Region in the context of the project Tourism is Culture.