Rais
by Juliàn Andrés Provenzano
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"Rais": the work by Juliàn Andrés Provenzano, resident artist of Sambuca Welcoming
"Rais" is the iron sculpture on Corso Umberto I created by Juliàn Andrés Provenzano—an Argentine artist with Sicilian roots—during the second Artist Residency of the "Sambuca Welcoming" project. The work—crafted by the artist, who was hosted at the workshop of Maestro Enzo De Luca, a blacksmith from Sambuca, with the involvement of the community—represents the imposing head of a horse, bowed towards the ground as if grazing. The sculpture makes multiple references to the history and culture of the town.
The artistic residency “ScrapArt” by Julian Andres Provenzano
Julian's residency project, titled “Scrap Art,” emerged as one of the 2 winners—among over 130 applications from around the world—of the international open call on art and urban regeneration launched as part of “Sambuca Welcoming.” For 4 weeks, between November and December 2023, the artist enlivened the village with his project on scrap art. Drawing inspiration from the history, stories, sayings, traditions of the village, and the everyday metal objects of its inhabitants, Juliàn worked creatively to assemble these materials into an identity-rich and emblematic work for Sambuca. Through welding discarded metal pieces donated by the locals and reassembling them, and using Spray Paint Art (spray painting technique), Juliàn aimed to give new life and meaning to seemingly useless items that actually tell a piece of each community member's history: a sustainable operation (based on the recovery of waste, rejection of excess, and social cohesion through community involvement) capable of connecting, through the artistic process, community, time, memory, and places.
Rais and Raìz: history, memory, identity and roots of Sambuca and the artist in one work
The sculpture evokes numerous historical and identity elements of the village of Sambuca and its community: the name of the work, "Rais"—which means "chief, leader" in Arabic—clearly refers to the Arabic roots of the original urban nucleus of Zabut, founded by a Saracen enclave following the Arab landing in Sicily in 827, and to the Berber breed of horses. The horse's effigy also recalls other identity elements of Sambuca, such as the legend of Via Fantasma, according to which ghosts of Saracens on horseback appeared in the Arab quarter, frightening the inhabitants; the veneration of Sambuca’s co-patron, Saint George, whose iconography depicts him on horseback slaying the dragon (the saint is also depicted in a mural in the village); and the horse race that used to take place on Corso Umberto I in May for the Feast of the Madonna dell’Udienza: a centuries-old tradition celebrated every year since 1575 over eight days (the octave), culminating on the third Sunday of the month traditionally dedicated to the Madonna, with both a secular and a religious celebration. The name of the work also plays on words: "rais," from Arabic meaning "chief," and "raìz," which in Spanish—the artist’s language—means "roots." The sculpture is intended to commemorate the origins of Sambuca and the identity roots of its community, but it also represents the roots the artist discovered upon coming to Sicily, the land of his grandfather, who emigrated from Corleone to Argentina in search of fortune. In Sambuca, where Julian arrived from Argentina with his wife and daughter and lived for a month as a temporary citizen of the village, he found roots, family, and both old and new affections.
Sustainability, memory, social cohesion in a Scrap Art work
Provenzano’s sculpture is an example of Scrap Art, a remarkable outcome of skillfully welding discarded metal materials donated by the community: objects of memory assembled to create a unified form, an artwork that embodies the community as it incorporates a piece of history and life from each local resident. Items such as spoons, keys, wheels, wire strands, metal clips, springs, containers, and various metal gears are combined and enhanced with spray-painted color effects and inscriptions featuring ancient sayings and local proverbs suggested by the community itself. The result is an identity-affirming piece created with community involvement, and it also symbolizes the core principles of sustainability. This approach demonstrates that any discarded object can find new life and, as in this case, not only be repurposed in an environmentally respectful way but can even become part of an artwork, conveying a message and contributing to a narrative.
The memory of the Palio of the Madonna dell’Udienza on Corso Umberto I
Among the most significant elements of memory encapsulated in this work is undoubtedly the memory of the Palio for the Feast of the Madonna dell’Udienza. Since the 16th century, every May, this religious celebration, which holds great significance for the people of Sambuca, brings the village to life for 8 days with activities inside and outside the sanctuary: Holy Masses, Rosaries recited and sung in ancient Sicilian, band music dedicated to the Madonna, and processions culminating in the Nisciùta (exit) and Trasùta (entry) of the statue of the Madonna from the Sanctuary, carried on the shoulders of barefoot members of the Confraternity of the Nudi. Alongside it, the secular festival takes place, once characterized by parades of band groups and, in the long afternoons of the last three days of the festival, by horse races along Corso Umberto I. The "Palio dell’Udienza" was considered a major event in all Sicilian towns and attracted many enthusiasts not only from nearby villages but also from distant cities: the winning horse was regarded as a true champion. For Sambuca, the Feast of the Madonna dell’Udienza also became a significant economic moment for all commercial activities. There were lavish meals, all the tailors and seamstresses in town were engaged to create rich and colorful costumes for the festival; fireworks, folk group parades among hundreds of stalls, exhibitions of all kinds, and festivals such as that of “Minni di Virgini” (virgin breasts), a delightful traditional sweet from Sambuca, were not to be missed. All this took place under the evening lights of the magical “Venetian illumination,” set up along the entire corso and on the facade of the Sanctuary. Today, the Palio is no longer held; its memory is preserved by some old films found online and now, by Juliàn Andrés Provenzano’s work for Sambuca.
A work that's also sambucese: from De Luca's podium to Navarro della Miraglia's citation
Juliàn's work came to life with the help of the community, which provided the constituent parts by donating their memory-laden objects. It was also made possible thanks to the generosity of Enzo De Luca, a respected iron craftsman, who hosted the Argentine artist in his workshop for a month. A silent relationship developed between the two, who communicated through art despite not speaking each other’s language. This led to a deep friendship and artistic collaboration. Master Enzo De Luca even contributed one of his famous metal snails to Julián’s work and crafted its base. But this was not just any base; it was a storytelling page featuring a quote from Emmanuele Navarro della Miraglia’s “Storielle Siciliane”: another illustrious Sambucan of the 19th century, a writer and precursor of Verismo. In 1885, Navarro della Miraglia described the Palio dell’Udienza along Corso Umberto I with these words: “The first day featured a race of Berber horses adorned with ribbons and little bells. During the intervals, several groups of herders rode through the main street, carrying the palio.” Sustainability, Memory, Art, Urban Regeneration, and Territory come together perfectly in this work: Rais.
The work of an artist who gives new life to waste
Juliàn Andrés Provenzano lives and works in his hometown of Pergamino, Argentina. There, he has always nurtured his passion for the Fine Arts, dedicating himself as a self-taught artist to drawing, painting, sculpture, woodworking, metalworking, and especially to the restoration of objects. One day, amidst workshops and tools, he learned to weld and repurpose discarded items (starting with metal scraps that had been in his workshop for some time). Constantly seeking new materials and welding techniques, and exploring ways to give life and functionality to pieces that others consider disposable, Julián aims to capture the essence and beauty of things with his work, contrasting the rigidity of the materials he uses with the sense of movement his sculptures evoke. He has participated in various exhibitions in Qatar and Argentina, including Autoclásica Pergamino 2015, Pampa Motors Pergamino 2016, Notte dei Musei Pergamino 2017, and the 1st Scrap Art Event Qatar 2019. His work was also showcased at the Museo de la Ciudad Pergamino with the exhibition Fuerza Natural 2018. Today, his works are found in Barcelona, Madrid, Washington DC, New York, Doha, and several cities in Argentina... and in Sambuca di Sicilia.