What's the Sky Like in Palestine? — Giovanni Gaggia

A Work Born from a Question from Gaza

What's the Sky Like in Palestine? is the project by artist Giovanni Gaggia (Pergola, 1977) which, after a phase spread across several Italian cities, finds its Marche region stop at the Civic Museums of Palazzo Pianetti in Jesi, in the heart of the province of Ancona. The installation, defined by the author himself as time and site-specific, originates from a question sent from the Gaza Strip by Anas, 23 years old: his answer, made of siege, pain, and hope, is the common thread throughout the work.

Tapestries, Cloths, and Collective Embroidery

The exhibition path unfolds on two levels of the palace. A large cloth welcomes visitors in the 19th-century entrance staircase on the ground floor, while the first floor of the Civic Art Gallery hosts the remaining part of the installation, made of three embroidered tapestries. The works are made with needle and gold thread and embellished with 64 golden braille spheres that form the project's title: a tactile language that also engages those who cannot see. The text received from Gaza was embroidered in the original languages by women and men of different backgrounds, during collective embroidery sessions.

Art as a Community Gesture

The strength of this work lies in its being a choral work. The tapestries are the result of four participatory art events hosted in Jesi by the Center for Services for Integration and the sartorial coworking space Hop Shop, with the collaboration of entities such as ASP Ambito 9 and the group "Jesi for Palestine". The project does not end within the museum halls; in April 2026, one hundred flags embroidered by Italian communities will join the route of the Global Sumud Flotilla, the civilian mission aiming to reach Gaza by sea. Each flag carries a part of a text from Gaza, along with the phrase "Restiamo umani" (We remain human) linked to Vittorio Arrigoni.

A Stop on a Broader Journey

The Jesi exhibition is a junction on a path that has touched other Italian cities, from the Museum of Costume in Nuoro to the completion of the tapestries at an Artistic High School in Catania. At Palazzo Pianetti, the installation enters into dialogue with the renowned Gallery of Stuccoes and the heritage of the Art Gallery, creating a short circuit between the Marche Baroque and the urgency of the present. Curated by Simona Cardinali, the exhibition is presented to the public through a community action, confirming the civic and relational vocation of Gaggia's entire research.

Why See It

• A contemporary work that combines embroidery, poetry, and civil commitment
• The opportunity to visit the Civic Museums of Palazzo Pianetti and the Gallery of Stuccoes
• A participatory project involving the community of Jesi and the Marche region
• An inclusive language thanks to the braille spheres