Basilicata 2019

To reinforce the idea of ​​making the whole territory the protagonist, the project of 'Matera 2019 - Capital for one day' gave each municipality the option to choose from the themes and values ​​in the candidacy dossier, those best suited to its local history and traditions, without forgetting to include an element of connection with Europe in the project: this gave rise to twelve months of shows and events in which each municipality was able to transmit to its inhabitants the desire to create an "open future".

With great foresight, the Matera 2019 project has involved citizens since the drafting of the first candidacy dossier: even back then it was unthinkable that a dream of this magnitude could come true without the contribution of all those who were willing to believe in it. The Matera 2019 Community Projects were born in the wake of that experience: citizens were given the opportunity to present their own cultural project within the official programming, provided that the proposal was designed for a community.

Depopulation is a phenomenon affecting 101 of the 131 municipalities of Basilicata. 'Storylines' is the project that collected the testimonies of old and new Basilicata migrants, but also explained the reasons of those who never wanted to leave their home. Stories of sacrifice and courage in both cases, because the relationship with this territory so rich in resources, but at times so desolate, is not easy.

'Ka art. For a Collective Map-making of Basilicata', the objective of the project is already indicated in the name: to create an emotional map of the Pollino Park, through the practice of walking. Thanks to the paths that have crossed the region and to the contributions that the artists have produced in the form of readings, drawings, written texts, performances and exhibitions, Ka art has shown how relating to the space we live in is the primordial manifestation of culture and identity that man has experienced over the course of evolution.

Throughout 2019 Basilicata has become a huge garden, where citizens, with the help of architects and artists, have taken back abandoned green spaces; through Gardentopia Days, real moments of community were created that involved citizens of all ages.

On the slopes of Monte Pollino, '"La Bella Vergogna"'. This theatrical show, created from a series of workshop experiences together with La Fura dels Baus (Spain), is inspired by all the shame that in Lucanian history has later become an opportunity for beauty. In addition to the well-known story of the Sassi stone districts of Matera, there are also very interesting stories related to the birth of the Arbëreshë communities in Basilicata and the formation of the rock churches in the Murgian territory: the persecution of the Byzantines from Greece and Albania and the Iconoclasm against Byzantine monks are highly reminiscent of modern exoduses.

The theme chosen for the 2019 special edition of Altofest is 'Living the Future': the homes of Basilicata citizens have been turned into artistic residencies and a place to welcome companies and stage their works. This project sees proximity as an instrument of individual growth and hospitality as a process of renewal of the social plot.