The Maifinito phenomenon. Confession, Forgiveness, and Healing: “condoni” and“sanatoria”, Isabella Fera in Conversation with Arno Brandlhuber

The book Maifinito featured essays, projects, and a selection of “international artistic, social and architectural experiences,” all of which centered around the “fenomeno del maifinito,”1 the maifinito phenomenon—in other words, the enormous number of unfinished buildings in southern Italy, and especially on the island of Sicily. Many of these buildings, so-called maifiniti, have been constructed entirely outside the legislative framework—a phenomenon that perfectly encapsulates the relationship in Italy between construction, the public vs. private realm, the state, and legislation. In December 2015, Arno Brandlhuber met Isabella Fera in Palermo for a wide-ranging discussion.