15 – 24 September 2019

Exhibition project for World Alzheimer’s Day

Curated by: 3SG & MA*GA Museum of Modern Art

Can we discuss and raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease through art? And can art help individuals living with Alzheimer’s find a sense of connection and continue to thrive despite the limitations imposed by the illness?

Now in its seventh year, the Alzhiamoci event—organized by the 3SG Social Health Services Agency under the patronage of the Municipality of Gallarate for World Alzheimer’s Day—will open to the public with a roundtable discussion hosted at the prestigious MA*GA Museum.

This will be followed by the presentation of a painting by artist Toni Alfano, who worked for several years at the Gallarate nursing home developing expressive-rehabilitative programs and multi-sensory stimulation projects for individuals with Alzheimer’s dementia.

His firsthand experience with the disease has deeply influenced his artistic practice, sparking a constant quest to express emotions linked to memory.

Memory, as the core of identity, is the essence of our being and what defines us as individuals. In Alzheimer’s, however, our greatest heritage slips away, gradually disappearing—a crumbling that is directly reflected in Alfano's art. In his paintings, the destructive phase, which serves as the final step in his process, is indeed the most decisive of all.

This special event, held during World Alzheimer’s Month, symbolizes the city of Gallarate’s commitment to fostering an increasingly "Dementia-Friendly" community, capable of driving a cultural shift to overcome the prejudice and social exclusion that often accompany this condition.

Building on this awareness, the 3SG Alzheimer’s services team will offer a reflection on the therapeutic value of art. With its immense communicative power, art serves as a vital "relational tool" as cognitive decline progresses. It stands as a privileged medium for building connection strategies and facilitating transformative experiences through which seemingly lost resources can emerge, existing skills are preserved, and individuals are empowered.