"Photography for me meant taking back possession of the world, of life, it represented the freedom to move after the curfews, after the displacement of the city, after hiding from the raids, more specifically, savouring the meaning of freedom, freedom of movement, freedom of expression and consequently the desire to be able to look at and grasp life." Nino Migliori
The world we live in is moving at full speed and the use of new technologies has certainly contributed to the overpopulation of imagery: this complicates our relationship with reality, since on the one hand we are unable to grasp its essence and on the other we help produce a series of images that undermine each individual's ability to observe.
Permanent exhibition (2019) by Iron Mould e Gods in LoveMatera European Capital of Culture 2019
To help us in this need to "grasp life" and be able to see it with a critical eye there are photography and street art: in fact, with the first one we capture those details that stimulate thinking and the ability to make a connection between several elements, while with the second it is possible to transform a grey space into a point to study and observe. Two different tools with which to focus on aspects of everyday life that we take for granted or are no longer able to see clearly.
The first photography exhibition of 2019 was 'Mater(i)a P(i)etra' by Carlos Solito: thirty pairs of images that ideally brought Basilicata closer to Jordan. A discovery of two very different territories, but with common distinctive features: both cities, formerly twinned by UNESCO, have been carved out of rock and equipped with ingenious underground water systems.
"Mater(i)a P(i)etra" by Carlos Solito (2019-01-20) by Digital LighthouseMatera European Capital of Culture 2019
Visiting the exhibition is like taking a trip while standing still: the suggestion of the juxtapositions of faces, situations and panoramas stimulates not only the visual but also the olfactory and auditory memory, leading the visitor to imagine those distant scenes as actually being closer, evoking a feeling of déjà-vu.
Mater(i)a P(i)etra by Carlos Solito (2019-01-20)Matera European Capital of Culture 2019
On 9 May 2019, on the occasion of Europe Day, the mural of the artist Salvo Ligama was presented: the work depicts a little girl who breathes out and is surrounded by a wave of lights and colours: the message is even more suggestive with the placement of the image facing the adjacent elementary school. Eco-sustainable Airlite colours, a 100% natural paint that absorbs smog, reducing air pollution, were used to create this masterpiece of urban art. A further demonstration of how culture knows how to respond to the needs that society manifests.
'Visions from Europe' was the end result of the work of 56 European photographers: one teacher and one student from each of the 28 photography schools, from 28 European countries, were paired up and invited to Matera to conduct iconographic research during the city's year as European Capital of Culture. The exhibition, curated by Francis Kohn and Cosmo Laera, condensed the result of three months of artistic residency into about 150 photographs, representing the city through the eyes of very different professionals, not only in terms of age and geographical origin, but also artistic maturity: the result was a complex work, rich in nuances, which dealt with different themes and touched on several areas of the urban and suburban territory.
Samar Hazboun e Robert Barca for "Visions from Europe" (2019-09-21) by Samar Hazboun e Robert BarcaMatera European Capital of Culture 2019
This incredible heritage was gifted to the City of Matera so that it can be a testimony for future generations of this historic moment for the city.
The eyes of the political activist Yvan Sagnet were selected by the Neapolitan street artist Jorit together with the students of the Carlo Levi Art College of Matera, to feature in the 'Icons for the future' project. The goal was to iconise a virtuous figure, a positive model for the new generations. Against cultural flattening and widespread laxity, especially in degraded city centres, it is necessary to create images that bring light and instil a sense of trust in the future. Yvan's gaze is decisive, does not communicate inflexibility, but firmness, instils courage and, without too many words, reveals the secret to building a better society: "Love your dream" sounds like a command for happiness, a duty to ourselves and the people we love.
There is a moment when everyone stops, it is when the earth trembles. Ten years after the L'Aquila earthquake, 'Terrae Motus' focuses on the fragility of our country: starting from the earthquake on 6 April 2009 and then reaching the earthquakes that struck Irpinia and Basilicata in 1980 and Belice in 1968, the photographic exhibition describes what happens in the reconstruction and recovery phase of the territories.
The "Terrae Motus" photo exhibition (2019-09-28) by Digital LighthouseMatera European Capital of Culture 2019
'The state of things. Geography and history in the wake of earthquake' is the first observatory of social photography and documentary curated by Antonio Di Giacomo, to which the exhibition is an appendix: its archive currently holds around 15,000 images, establishing itself as Italy's largest photographic campaign in recent years.
Antonio di Giacomo presents "Terrae Motus" (2019-09-28)Matera European Capital of Culture 2019
