Aeolian Islands: In Lipari, Art Descends into the Depths with a Submerged Sculpture Dedicated to Sebastiano Tusa

There is a Latin verse, *Abyssus abyssum invocat*(“the abyss calls to the abyss”), which served as the inspiration for the sixth edition of EOLIè – Art, Literature, and Society—the cultural festival that, from July 3 to 6, 2026, brought a dialogue between art, literature, and contemporary thought to Lipari. Promoted and organized by the cultural association Un Sanpietrino, directed by Francesco Malfitano, this year’s edition of the event focused on the theme “Abyss and Mystery,” explored through the relationship between humanity and the sea, memory and knowledge, natural depths and inner dimensions.

The event reaffirmed the path the festival has taken over the years, having been founded with the goal of transforming the Aeolian Islands into a hub for international cultural exchange. In 2025, the fifth edition—dedicated to the theme “Love and Betrayal”—featured figures such as Emilia Kabakov, Marcello Veneziani, Beatrice Venezi, Sebastiano Barisoni, and Davide Rondoni, in addition to the group exhibition *Cuori inquieti* (Restless Hearts) hosted in the Norman Cloister. The EOLIè formula has taken root around a theme that unites art and life, symbolic locations on the island, and dialogue between established figures and new generations through the EOLIè-young project.

Cultivating culture in an island setting like Lipari means grappling with specific conditions. The Aeolian Islands, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, face the same contradiction as many Mediterranean regions: they are heavily visited during the summer season but risk losing their prominence during the winter months. A festival born on the island and growing alongside the local community offers a different model, bringing artists, writers, and scholars to engage with a territory that becomes an integral part of the reflection. A volcanic archipelago where submerged archaeology, myth, and geology have coexisted for millennia.

Carrying out a project of this scale also involves significant logistical challenges. Transporting works of art, installations, and materials by sea requires complex operations, as was the case with the monumental sculpture that arrived from abroad via specialized shipping and customs procedures. This aspect becomes an integral part of the festival experience: bringing culture to outlying areas rather than waiting for those areas to reach the major urban centers.

The centerpiece of the 2026 edition is the installation by Jason deCaires Taylor, an artist considered one of the leading figures in contemporary underwater sculpture and the creator of the submerged museums in Cancún and Lanzarote. In the natural pool of Sottomonastero, at the foot of the Acropolis of Lipari, the sculptor has installed *Journey Man*, a large-scale installation dedicated to the memory of Sebastiano Tusa, a Sicilian archaeologist and councilor for Cultural Heritage who passed away in 2019 and was one of the pioneers of Mediterranean underwater archaeology.

The work depicts Tusa as a figure journeying toward the unknown, embraced and sheltered by the sea. Visible from the surface, the sculpture is made of eco-friendly materials and is intended to gradually transform into a habitat for marine life. The project thus serves a dual purpose: a monument dedicated to the memory of the archaeologist and an environmental initiative capable of strengthening the bond between the sea, cultural heritage, and the Aeolian Islands.

The festival program brought together figures from various fields. Representing the worlds of thought and discourse were architect and urban planner Carlo Ratti, director of the MIT Senseable City Lab; philosopher and writer Marcello Veneziani; historian Giordano Bruno Guerri; conductor Beatrice Venezi, and author and popular science writer Riccardo Pedicone, also known as Ricky Pedi.

Alongside deCaires Taylor’s work, the program dedicated to the visual arts featured sculptor Giuseppe Agnello, whose work explores the relationship between the body and nature; Marco Tamburro, a leading figure in Italian urban art, who created two large murals in collaboration with Aeolian schools and using Boero paints; photographer Carlos Solito, presenting a project dedicated to caves and abysses; and emerging artist Giuditta Sin. In the coming months, the president of the Venice Biennale, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, and the artist Jago are also expected to participate. A segment of the festival was also dedicated to political and institutional dialogue, reaffirming the relationship between cultural production and the social dimension.

EOLIè26 took place under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Tourism, the European Commission, the Sicilian Region through the departments of Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity and Tourism, Sports and Entertainment, the Municipality of Lipari, and the Bernabò Brea Archaeological Park of the Aeolian Islands. Numerous public and private sponsors also collaborated on the event, including Enel, Ferrovie dello Stato Group, the Federico II Foundation, Liberty Lines, CAMPLUS, Illumia, Studio Legale Vallefuoco, Inrete Digital, Globe, ALIS, Triton, Berti Group, and Streetvox.

The festival continues even beyond the four days of events. Throughout the summer, Lipari is hosting several exhibitions: Carlos Solito’s solo photography exhibition, *SCURU*, at the Church of the Madonna delle Grazie, dedicated to the relationship between darkness, caves, and submerged environments; an exhibition of sculptures by Giuseppe Agnello; and murals created by Marco Tamburro, now an integral part of the island’s urban landscape. Additionally,“Journey Man,” a permanent installation in the natural pool at Sottomonastero, remains open to visitors.

Between August and September, the project will continue on the mainland with EOLIèoff, a section of the festival hosted in Patti and Tindari, on the Tyrrhenian coast of Messina facing the archipelago. Among the announced guests are Father Antonio Spadaro and Andrea Camiolo. This new stage is part of the event’s journey through a place that, like the Aeolian Islands, combines history, landscape, and symbolic significance: Tindari, with its Greek theater overlooking the sea and the sanctuary overlooking the Marinello lakes, thus becomes yet another space for reflection on the relationship between humanity and mystery.

Aeolian Islands: In Lipari, Art Descends into the Depths with a Submerged Sculpture Dedicated to Sebastiano Tusa

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