Michelangelo Pistoletto’s “Third Paradise” arrives in Scanno a small Italian village nestled in the Abruzzo mountains. The small village has been chosen as the latest site for a project that bridges art, ecology, and civic renewal.
The initiative is being unveiled as part of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025
From the Guggenheim to the Hirshhorn, works by Michelangelo Pistoletto have been celebrated for decades as touchstones of socially engaged art. Yet now, his iconic symbol—the “Third Paradise”—is being brought to life in a profoundly different way.
On May 10th, the historic halls of the Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Venice will host the official presentation of Scanno, Terzo Paradiso, an ambitious public art and landscape initiative curated by Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto. This event is being shaped by a diverse coalition of artists, architects, scholars, and public officials—brought together to envision a sustainable future for Scanno through the interpretive framework of Pistoletto’s art.
Pistoletto’s Vision: When Art Becomes Architecture of Peace
Regarded as a founding figure of the Arte Povera movement, Michelangelo Pistoletto has long been recognized for turning aesthetics into action. His work has been characterized by a deep exploration of art’s role in fostering societal transformation.
Over the years, it has been displayed in many leading American institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum, and the Walker Art Center.
Indeed, Pistoletto’s art is not merely exhibited—it is activated. At the heart of his philosophy is the Third Paradise, a reimagined infinity symbol whose center represents a fertile space where nature and technology, individuals and communities, can be reconciled.
This symbol has already been installed in global locations—from the Louvre Museum in Paris to the United Nations headquarters in Geneva—and now, it is being grounded in the rural textures of Scanno.
Importantly, this isn’t just an art installation. Rather, the Third Paradise is being used as a living platform—for education, regeneration, and civic imagination.
Why Scanno? From Photographic Icon to Living Laboratory
The village of Scanno, though small, has long held a powerful place in the visual arts. It has been immortalized by photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Mario Giacomelli, and Ferdinando Scianna, drawn to its stark beauty and timeless rhythms.
However, like many remote communities in Italy, Scanno has been affected by economic stagnation and population decline.
Now, a new narrative is being envisioned. Through this project, Scanno is not being preserved as a postcard but transformed into a laboratory where tradition and innovation coexist.
By embracing the values of the Third Paradise, Scanno is being positioned as a model for sustainable rural futures.
The site-specific project is being shaped by landscape architect João Ferreira Nunes, whose ecological design transforms the terrain into a spatial story.
Moreover, key cultural leaders—including Cristiana Collu, director of the Querini Stampalia Foundation, and Nicola Di Battista, architect and editor—are contributing to the broader intellectual and urbanistic vision.
Through their collective efforts, what Pistoletto calls a “civic architecture” is being created: an art that inhabits public space, but also inhabits responsibility—toward people, toward the environment, and toward future generations.
The Local Meets the Global
While the symbolism of the Third Paradise has already been seen in major international venues, what is now being achieved in Scanno is markedly different. Here, the symbol is not just shown—it is lived. By embedding it into the landscape and life of the village, a unique blend of poetry and practicality is achieved.
Notably, this initiative arrives at a time when the urgent questions of climate change, social fragmentation, and cultural disconnection are being felt worldwide. Against this backdrop, Scanno, Terzo Paradiso offers a quiet revolution—a vision in which art is not decoration, but intervention.
Moreover, this latest iteration reinforces Pistoletto’s lifelong commitment to peace, sustainability, and shared humanity—an ethos that has recently led to his official nomination for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.