Starting on January 10, 2005, at 6:30 p.m., the Careof space will host an exhibition of the hundreds of drawings and maquettes that formed the basis for the decorations and photographs created by the Comunità trasformata and the various individuals involved in the Wurmkos Abitare project.

The renovation of the Comunità Parpagliona occupied the Wurmkos group for nearly four years. Wurmkos was founded in 1987 by Pasquale Campanella together with individuals with psychological disabilities, users of the Cooperativa Lotta contro l’Emarginazione in Sesto San Giovanni.

Comunità Parpagliona is a “medium protection” community for individuals with psychological disabilities, located on the outskirts of Sesto San Giovanni. Its renovation was a collective effort in which everyone involved (including the curator) contributed according to their abilities, relinquishing authorship but not responsibility. Decisions were made collectively. The method employed consisted of working in an entirely free and open manner over a long period, producing hundreds of sketches and drawings. Only in a second phase was a feasibility assessment carried out—using a method rooted in art (though not typical of all artists) rather than architecture or design—even though the end result was a redistribution of space and a redecoration of the premises.

The community’s residents actively participated in designing the spaces they live in. This participatory approach—bridging the innovative potential of art with issues related to mental illness and its care—is what defines this project as a true work of relational art.

On February 2, 2005, at 6:30 p.m., as part of the exhibition, the book documenting the entire project will be presented:
Wurmkos Abitare, edited by Simona Bordone, with texts by Elisabetta Longari, Gabi Scardi, and photographs by Annalisa Guidetti and Antonio Maniscalco (published by Editrice Compositori).