What does it mean to be Fluxus today?
The 16th edition of the Visionary Art Show pays homage to FLUXUS—one of the most innovative and influential art movements of the 20th century—through an exhibition project that brings together historical works, rare films, performances, and contemporary artists from Italy, Iceland, Belgium, Germany, United States, Russia, Armenia, Iran, United Kingdom, China. Hosted at the Palmieri Foundation in Lecce—a prestigious Renaissance venue transformed for the occasion into an evocative "Cabinet of Curiosities"—the exhibition offers an interdisciplinary journey where visual arts, performance, cinema, and multimedia engage in a dialogue centered on experimentation and creative freedom. Under the direction and curatorial casting by Dores Sacquegna, *Fluxus: Visions in a State of Flow* takes the form of a *Gesamtkunstwerk*, a total artwork experience; through the narrative device of a "Casting List," each artist assumes a leading role, while artworks, images, and actions intertwine like scenes from a Visionary Film. The exhibition catalogue features critical essays by the curator and by Toti Carpentieri. Organized by Primo Piano LivinGallery in collaboration with LarkGallery of Los Angeles, the event will open on Saturday, November 21, at 6:30pm. A welcome drink and tastings—provided by the Salento-based farms and producers Contino Wines and FA Ferrara—will follow.
The Cast and the Tribute to FLUXUS
The historical centerpiece of the exhibition is a prestigious private Fluxus collection, featuring Fluxus-objects by Joseph Beuys, George Maciunas, Yoko Ono, Giuseppe Chiari, Sam Kautsch, and Ben Vautier, alongside rare film footage documenting key figures such as John Cage, George Brecht, and Nam June Paik. This body of work chronicles one of the most radical avant-garde movements of the twentieth century—founded by George Maciunas in the early 1960s as a collective, interdisciplinary, and subversive process—which sought to break down the boundaries between art and life.
Live performance featuring a tribute to John Cage
The curtain rises with a “Mise en action” by Belgian artist Dominiek De Meulemeester (GAKA MIRA). His homage to John Cage stems not from direct quotation, but from an attitude: radical listening, an openness to chance, and a receptivity to the unexpected. The setting, the audience, and the element of time all become part of the composition, transforming the work into a living event. As a preview, the artist presents his research into structural color.
The Path of the Enfants Terribles
Like a visionary film, *Fluxus: Visions in a State of Flow* unfolds through interconnected dialogues, resonances, and narratives. Each presence becomes a role, each gesture a scene, and each work a fragment of an ever-evolving story. The artists on display do not merely imitate Fluxus; rather, they embody its spirit of experimentation, transcending disciplinary boundaries and transforming art into a process. They are restless heirs who inhabit the "Cabinet of Curiosities" with their own cult objects. Within this dramaturgy, the “Masterpièce” serves as a polestar, anchored by the works of the Armenian surrealist master Gabriel Manoukian (GABO) —who will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, in keeping with the tradition of the Visionary Art Show.
As in Fluxus poetics, everything unfolds at the intersection of body and image, object and movement, word and process. Art transforms into a living experience through the "Activation Protocol"—featuring Pierluca Cetera’s sirens, Sandra Cohn’s wearable Fluxus-objects, and Lark Pilinsky’s magic boxes—which invite the audience to become part of the work itself. Within the fluid dimension of the "Cabinet of Curiosities," the metamorphosing landscapes of “Flow Landscapes” take shape, as artists Mann De Lacy, Patricia Fong, Shaoming Quan, Angel Jiaqi Qin, and Xingxuan Wang engage in a dialogue with the legacy of Fluxus.
Time is not a line, but an echo and a metamorphosis. In the "Temporal Resonances" session, contemporary artists engage with presences from different eras—free from hierarchies or imitation. The works by Andy Artyuhin, Sandra Cohn, Stefano Falco, Dena Haden, Lina Kogan, Linda Kunik, Nicole Martinelli, Sara McKenzie, Donato Bruno Leo, Mobina Nouri, Mila Ryk, Fernando Spano, Tatiana Yartseva, Hal Yaskulka, and Franca Ze bring to life a constellation of diverse languages and sensibilities. More than just an exhibition, *Fluxus: Visions in a State of Flow* is an invitation to enter a realm where art and life once again converge, where the process matters more than the result, and where every encounter gives rise to new possibilities.
Lights, camera, action!
FLUXUS: VISIONS IN A STATE OF FLOW
Artists on display: Andy Artyuhin (Russia); Pierluca Cetera (Italy); Sandra Cohn (US); Mann De Lacy (United Kingdom); Stefano Falco (Iceland); Patricia Fong (US); Dena Haden (US); Gaka Mira (Belgium); Lina Kogan (US); Linda Kunik (US); Nicole Martinelli (US); Gabriel Manoukian-Gabo (Armenia); Sara McKenzie (US); Donato Bruno Leo (Italy); Mobina Nouri (Iran); Lark Pilinsky (US); Mila Ryk (US); Fernando Spano (Italy); Shaoming Quan (China); Angel Jiaqi Qin (China); Tatiana Yartseva (US); Hal Yaskulka (US); Xingxuan Wang (China); Franca Ze (Germany).
November 21 – December 4, 2026
Palmieri Foundation
Via dei Sotterranei, Lecce, Italy
Opening Hours:
Every day: 16:00 – 20:00 (Morning by appointment)