On Sunday, November 22, at 5:00 PM, the SACCA gallery in Modica will open "Paper, Scissors, Stone: Hybrid Practices and the Destructuring of Reality." Curated by Giovanni Scucces, the exhibition features six contemporary artists—Calogero Arcidiacono, Federica Culotta, Demetrio Di Grado, Davide Fontana, Giacomo Giori, and Marilina Marchica—whose creative inquiries converge within a fluid, interdisciplinary realm, dismantling traditional dogmas and rigid definitions.
Contemporary art thrives on essential transgressions: painting expands into space, sculpture embraces the ephemeral, memory takes physical form, and the fragment becomes a meaningful substance. In such an ecosystem, the boundaries between disciplines collapse. Concepts like the weight of physical matter or the flatness of an image are no longer viewed as inviolable dogmas; instead, they derive their significance from friction, fusion, and mutual hybridization. Witnessing this process means observing the end of academic hierarchies in favor of a complete, transdisciplinary fluidity.
This principle of interdependence lies at the heart of "Paper, Scissors, Stone"—a universally recognized, playful dynamic in which three simple gestures interact, reminding us that no absolute hierarchies exist.
In this exhibition, painting, sculpture, and collage are not isolated techniques, but rather forces that engage with one another and with the surrounding space. Elements shed their rigid categorizations, transforming into mutable forms that cross-pollinate to the point of becoming oxymorons.
Thus, paper—beyond serving as a repository for imprints, memories, and internal sedimentations—sometimes sheds its inherent fragility, asserting an unexpected physicality that can even transform it, visually, into "stone." This becomes evident, for instance, in the work of Federica Culotta (Cefalù, 1992), where the material’s vulnerability takes on the form of a tangible body and presence. Through the technique of tearing—a gesture bordering on violence, akin to the action of scissors—the artist creates collages that, in some cases, evolve into full-fledged paper sculptures. This pursuit of three-dimensionality is also visible in the painterly landscapes of Giacomo Giori (Rovereto, 1997; based in Milan), whose works play with the layering of planes, transcending two-dimensionality to acquire a physical, spatial presence. Similar material stratifications—though approached differently—can be found in the practice of Marilina Marchica (Agrigento, 1984), who treats paper as a painterly medium, spreading and layering it to redefine the landscape.
The act of cutting—so often associated with paper—serves as an intervention upon reality: it severs ties with an original context to forge new ones, creating visual short-circuits or harmonious integrations. Through the technique of cutting out, Demetrio Di Grado (Palermo, 1976; based in Caltagirone) reconfigures vintage figures and visual memories from the twentieth century, embedding them into contemporary settings. By applying poster paper onto fragments of drywall, Di Grado carries out a further deconstruction, bringing "the wall"—and the aesthetic of his urban interventions—into the gallery space.
The stone represents volume, weight, and physical bulk—elements that break through flatness—yet in this exhibition, sculptural material engages in an intimate dialogue with lightness. While the sculptures do not forgo traditional materials such as marble, stone, or metal, they incorporate, intermingle with, or even disguise these elements through the use of humble, ephemeral substances like polystyrene, plaster, and paper. In this interplay of opposites, the mineral heaviness and indestructibility traditionally associated with sculpture give way to a more fluid, fragile, and evocative dimension.
The works of Davide Fontana (born 1995 in Palermo; based in Bagheria) disguise the nature of their materials—such as plaster and polystyrene—creating a visual and conceptual contrast with the inherent heaviness of sculpture. Calogero Arcidiacono (born 1998 in Catania; based in San Teodoro) pushes the boundaries of the medium by combining heterogeneous elements: he juxtaposes drawing—with its inherent fragility—against three-dimensional forms, fostering a dialogue between the evanescence of the sketch and the tangibility of the sculptural element. Finally, the concept of architecture and shelter—the "stone" envisioned as both habitat and a symbol of solidity—recurs in the work of Marilina Marchica, who employs casts of architectural or domestic elements to crystallize and preserve the physical memory of specific places.
This exhibition invites us to observe how contemporary art manages to dismantle established rules; it is a fluid, interdisciplinary terrain where a painter might create three-dimensional works, a sculptor might work with polystyrene or paper, and a creator can simply exist as an artist, unconstrained by any trivial labeling.
The exhibition is free to the public and will be on view until January 23, 2027. Opening hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 4:30 PM to 8:00 PM; visits at other times may be arranged by appointment.