On July 24, Etna comes to Manhattan with an event that unites art, science, and the landscape.
[Rome, July 21, 2025]
In the spaces of the contemporary art gallery TOTAH, in the heart of New York, next July 24th will be held the finissage of “Etna Eternal Flame”, an international project promoted and curated by the cultural association Basaltika, which for over a year transformed Europe's highest active volcano into a stage for site-specific art and geological research.
At the heart of the event is the contribution of theEtna Observatory of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV - OE), with the intervention of the Director Stephen Branca, called a to tell how the methods of representing the historical eruptions of Etna have evolved over time from the 16th century until the advent of photography to the New York public and to bring the voice of Italian research overseas:
“The involvement of the INGV”, explains Branca, “has given scientific depth and authority to the project. Etna is not just a natural spectacle, but an open-air laboratory of geological phenomena that deserve to be understood and enhanced, including through contemporary art.”
The project Etna Eternal Flame, started between 2023 and 2024 on Etna Sud in altitude 1980 meters, saw the participation of four internationally renowned artists: the New York sculptor Aleksandar Duravcevic, the German artist Johannes Pfeiffer, the Sicilian painter Samantha Torrisi and the photographer Oriana Tobacco, president of Basaltika and professor of Art History.
The works, installed in the lava theatre of the 2001 eruption, interacted with the volcanic landscape for over a year, becoming a rare example of contemporary art on an active volcano.
The New York event, edited by Ysabel Pinyol Blasi of Monira Foundation and supported by Orestiadi Foundation from Gibellina, represents the symbolic conclusion of this journey.
During the meeting a presentation will also be made documentary video of the entire project, introduced by Oriana Tobacco, which emphasizes:
"Our aim was to bring the volcano beyond its geographical boundaries, making it a symbol of rebirth, transformation, and beauty. Art was the medium, science the foundation.".
The event will be live streamed on the official social channels of Basaltika, consolidating the goal of international dissemination of the project.
Etna Eternal Flame was created under the patronage of Etna park,INGV - OE, from the Municipality of Nicolosi and Italian Association of Volcanology (AIV).
Info: www.basaltika.it
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