Omar Hassan is the focus of the new grand exhibition "Punctum", hosted at Palazzo Reale in Palermo from March 24 to October 1, 2023, in collaboration with the Fondazione Federico II.
Born to an Italian Catholic mother and an Egyptian Muslim father, Omar Hassan grew up between two different cultures, which shaped his openness to dialogue, tolerance, and innovation. There is no better setting for his work than Palazzo Reale, a cradle of ideas since the time of Frederick II and home to the magnificent Palatine Chapel, a quintessential symbol of cultural integration.
For Hassan, concept and action underpin every artistic gesture. Fascinated by time, he bases his research on synthesized pictorial gestures that capture its essence, drawing inspiration from masters like Fontana, Pollock, and Manzoni, whose energetic artistic gestures convey new philosophies and concepts.
Hassan’s artistic expression spans distinct “themes,” characterized by experimentation with color and gesture: the punch in his Breaking Through series, which earned him global recognition as the "artist-boxer"; the spray paint cans in the Injections and Lights series. At 36, Hassan’s artistic journey is continually evolving. After exhibiting in Miami, New York, London, Berlin, and Milan, he now brings Punctum to Palermo, an exhibition conceived with the Fondazione Federico II, running from March 24 to October 1 at Palazzo Reale.
Punctum represents the artist’s vital energy that makes each work of art unique. The exhibition explores the intersection of classicism and contemporaneity, connecting past and future. It is a tribute to “the value of the individual as part of a serene and harmonious whole.”
Central to this vision is the "Mappa di Palermo", a piece created specifically for the exhibition and composed of 8,928 spray can caps, each hand-painted by Hassan. This work reflects an anti-hierarchical approach and a profound focus on places as hubs of community and sharing.
"Through a dialogue between the complexity of places and works of art," says Gaetano Galvagno, President of the Fondazione Federico II, "we propose a new narrative and welcome one of the contemporary art witnesses of our time. This reflects the Foundation's cultural intent to foster dialogue between a space of memory and contemporary art while promoting the works of an artist whose production is marked by strong energy, vitality, and action. Hassan’s work embraces the tradition of classical art, reinterpreting it to offer a refreshed perspective.”
"Punctum at Palazzo Reale," adds Patrizia Monterosso, Director General of the Fondazione Federico II, "aims to embody art in motion, providing nourishment to the energy that makes the artist and life itself so vibrant. The exhibition is the result of an authentic dialogue between Omar and the Fondazione Federico II, which once again rejects pre-packaged exhibitions. Omar Hassan is an example of tolerance and artistic representation in the truest sense and integrates seamlessly with the soul of this palace, a historical laboratory that bridges the past and future."
"Palermo" is one of seven site-specific works created by Omar Hassan for Punctum. Among them is "Pax", a sculpture that boldly reinterprets the Nike of Samothrace as a symbol of peace.
Born and raised on the outskirts of Milan, Hassan recalls how he managed to rise above a world where other potential talents remained unrealized, generating only “sitting dreams.” As he puts it, “In my household, not achieving results was equivalent to failure.” This sentiment is reflected in an exclusive dialogue with the Fondazione Federico II, documented in the exhibition catalog.
Alongside his artistic pursuits, Hassan practiced boxing for years, a discipline he was forced to abandon for health reasons. His Breaking Through series, also featured in the exhibition, exemplifies the synthesis of gesture: the punch becomes a symbol of creation, not destruction. "I’m not punching to destroy; I’m creating," he states.
Hassan’s art flows seamlessly between life and creation, marked by original, multilayered outcomes. His works carry a strong autobiographical component, from their themes to their progressively refined techniques. For Hassan, color is a tool to captivate the viewer, but the true meaning of his work lies beneath it. His use of canvas aligns with the current crisis of easel painting, while the lexical layering and the dissolution of hierarchies between painting and sculpture define his distinctive style—rooted in historical artistic traditions but reaching toward the future and the new.
Hassan embraces the artistic languages of site-specificity, installation, painting, and sculpture, often creating a meaningful dialogue among these forms. The Sala Duca di Montalto at Palazzo Reale is being prepared to engage “live” with Omar Hassan’s artistic energy—and vice versa.
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