Beautification on Ustica

A project artist Atit was involved in with a local group this summer.

For six months of the year, Azima and I live on the island of Ustica. It’s very small, only about 10 km in circumference, situated in the Mediterranean about one and a half hours by ferry from Palermo, Sicily.

Ustica was the first place in Europe to be declared a Protected Marine Reserve. It is forbidden to fish, to make sure the seabed remains pristine and rich in marine fauna. And for this reason it’s a diver’s paradise. In fact, there are as many as 13 diving centers on the island. But you can see groupers even just while snorkeling… (Hunting is also forbidden – that would be mostly of migratory birds.)

I have recently become part of a group of artists – mostly women – who have started a beautification project recovering abandoned structures here. The project is called, Ustica è Fimmina, and was conceived by Rosanna Ferrara. Its aim is to bring creativity and joyful energy to the area. (‘Ustica è Fimmina’ literally means ‘Ustica is female’, which addresses in particular female creativity, in contrast to the rather patriarchal society of the island.)

With the consent of the mayor and the support of the Reserve, the group started with the beautification of an abandoned bus stop next to the sea, in the northern part of the island. The decorations were meant to recall the seabed with all its wealth of fish that can be seen just by snorkeling.

The project will continue with the beautification of other structures both in the village and near the sea.

The attached photos describe the process of this first work of art.

Painting was born with me – An online exhibition of Atit Maria’s paintings (July 2023)
Little Buddhas by Atit Maria – Atit Maria shares with us pictures of her Little Buddhas and tells us the story of how she started making them (November 2010)