Hosted in the 16^th-century Castrone Santa Ninfa Palace, ‘Meet Eat Connect’ is also a restaurant

Over the years, Palermitan architect and entrepreneur Giuseppe Forello collected 4 thousand ‘Apple’ pieces and 46 original negatives of Steve Jobs. Now, these will rotate in exhibitions hosted by the newly inaugurated MEC Museum in the heart of the historic center of Palermo (Sicily). ‘MEC’ stands for ‘Meet Eat Connect’; in fact, it is not only a  museum of IT history but also a cultural center and a restaurant.

### Forello, the founder of MEC, began collecting Apple machine and memorabilia in the 1990s.

Today, his is one of the most important collections in the world with an insight into Jobs’ private life. Forello said: “A few years ago some Americans wanted to buy the collection. They were entrepreneurs from Las Vegas. They contacted me through Edward Luttwak and offered me 5 million euros. I didn’t give in.”

The inaugurating exhibition, titled ‘Steve Jobs 1955-2011 – Why Join the Navy If You Can Be a Pirate?’ stems from a collaboration with entrepreneur Marco Boglione. Curated by technology historian Cecilia Botta, it traces the history of Apple as told through various objects and mediums. The exhibition is divided into 8 thematic categories: Seed and Fruit, Innovation, Pirates, Apple Store, Prototypes, Pixar, Competition, and Temple. The latter is dedicated to contemporary art and features photographs by Jean Pigozzi and Diana Walker as well as an installation by Edoardo Dionea Cicconi.

The “Eat” part of MEC is a literary cafe in the morning but turns into a fine dining restaurant in the evening. Chef Carmelo Trentacosti (1976) takes care of both the original tasting menu and of the à la carte dining options. Moreover, the “museum within a restaurant and a restaurant that’s also a museum,” as Forello defined it, is located in the impressive Palazzo Castrone Santa Ninfa. The impressive 16^th-century palace has a breathtaking view of the city’s Cathedral.

Ilona Catani Scarlett