The site-specific mural "The Butterfly Planet" was created by Yuri Catania for Sara Ruscitti and installed at the new location of the Obiettivo Ergoterapia studio in Lamone, Canton Ticino.
The artist continues his artistic journey by engaging in a dialogue between nature—represented by the photographs of the nocturnal flowers from the secret garden of Rovio—and technology, exemplified by space progress and, specifically, the figure of the astronaut.
Given the uniqueness of the studio, which will be dedicated not only to adult patients but particularly to children and special kids, Catania feels the need to connect the work to an imaginative journey, capable of making the place where it is located even more engaging and interactive.
Thus, a real children's story is born, whose protagonists are the "pet astronauts," the animals that live with Sara and her family: including Carlotta, two cats, and two horses. The idea, inspired by pet therapy, is to bring children closer to familiar figures, humanizing them and transforming them into a team of superheroes led by a very special rebellious girl.
The work, created with acrylic paint on canvas and paste-ups, represents the beginning of a broader project with which they aim to organize workshops and an illustrated story for children on the theme.
The goal is to create a true creative universe, filled with positive messages, where children can reflect on the value and importance of nature and biodiversity (represented by the butterflies), currently endangered, and on the respect and care for pets, not seeing them as mere toys but as companions in growth. All this in relation with the allure of the future and technology, represented by space travel and the role of astronauts as new explorers of the modern era. All to strengthen the relationship of the center's specialists and the studio itself to make it over time a place of heart and creativity.
