Freedom of expression.

Which recognizes only the contours of an imaginary cartography necessary to compress and understand Julien Friedler (Brussels, 1950).

Traces, signs, crumbs, visions, footprints, graffiti that manage to lead by the hand into a fantastic world, a mental territory in which only the artist can be recognized. The first exhibition with which the Sant'Elia Foundation - and more broadly, the city of Palermo - strengthens its relationship with art and freedom is dedicated to the Belgian artist. The Sicilian capital slowly begins to rise again, reopens its palaces, churches, museums: and chooses an artist with an overflowing and, at the same time, necessary imagination. For the time, the moment, the place.

"Mapping" contains 200 recent paintings by Friedler, clearly expressionistic, cathartic, made in the last two years, and until shortly before the world shriveled into itself, to face the pandemic: the Belgian artist's solo show, curated by Gianluca Marziani and Dominique Stella, it opens in the headquarters of the Sant'Elia Foundation at Loggiato San Bartolomeo, where it will be open from 7 June to 7 July.

The Palermo exhibition is linked to a second exhibition, again “Mapping”, which will take place from 25 July at Palazzo Libera, Municipality of Villa Lagarina (TN), a space that collaborates with the MART of Rovereto. The catalog, which collects the whole of the “Mapping” production, will be published by La Route de la Soie Éditions_Paris.