Scratching: Sicilian Residual Landscapes in the Afterlife of Oil Production

This paper explores the experience of ruination in one of Europe’s largest petrochemical hubs, located in southeastern Sicily. Analyzing a public demonstration that blends an eco-cultural outing with a protest march, I focus on a military zone near old petrochemical plants and deteriorating structures associated with the mid-twentieth-century modernist ideology. The paper looks at how local activists interact with this residual materiality during the walk, creating a deep sensory engagement and fostering a renewed understanding of the site’s potential for transformation. The concept of “scratching” describes the tactics used to scrape away the disturbing layers of the late industrial landscape, revealing alternatives that transcend current limitations.