ART Pilgrimage

Reconstruction of a FORMER castle in Favignana, Sicily
: marina ilić . katarina petrović . nevena balalić .
| y 2018

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The fortress of Santa Caterina stands alone on the peak of Favignana isle, and appears as a real jewel of solitude. For more than a century the fortress has been an abandoned prison. The project aims to transform this historical place into the spiritual center of contemporary art. The proposal is led by the idea of pilgrimage, where the goal of the journey lies in the rediscovery of oneself through the medium of art. The context uses the element of solitude and art as the key elements of the spiritual journey.

The journey is linear and led by the path that starts from the bottom of the hill, and on the top penetrates into the building and continues.

Along the path different mental stages are conjured with different spatial elements and programmatic suggestions.

Physical spaces have the symbolic connection to the phases of pilgrimage:
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The Call
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The Contemplation
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The Separation
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The Journey
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The Redemption
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The Encounter
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The Completion
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The Return

In the moment of penetration of the path the dome appears as the first interior spatial sensation. The dome as traditional architectural element of spiritual architecture spreads all the way up to the roof- but not as a point of vertical  transition, but as a point of perception of the final stop of the journey.

The path continues through existing rooms where the art is predominantly placed. The rooms are left untouched, differing in size and shape, making variety of spatial interaction with the art. After kilometers of provoked sensations, on the roof, the journey leads into the absence.

The pilgrim is at the top, left with the bare natural elements, water, sky, oneself. The roof is marking the point of clearance of the body and the soul.