Bitume Photofest 2021: Young Italian Photographers in Lecce

The fifth edition of Bitume Photofest, Italy's first urban contemporary photography festival, is hosted at the Polo Bibliomuseale del Museo Castromediano in Lecce until October 31. Curated by Andrea Laudisa and the Positivo Diretto collective, the festival focuses on emerging Italian photography and expanding access to contemporary art through outdoor exhibitions. Supported by the MiC and the Province of Lecce, the Young Talent edition features eight internationally recognized young artists from across Italy exploring the theme of boundary-crossing as freedom, using postmodern hyperreality to express new photographic practices. The artists include Eleonora Agostini (1991), who presents 'A Blurry Aftertaste' examining domestic intimacy and memory; Roberto Boccaccino (1984) with 'Truth or Consequences' using digital map names to question language and reality; Alessandro Calabrese (1983) with 'A Failed Entertainment' overlaying his photos with algorithmically similar web images; Giorgio Di Noto (1990) with 'The Iceberg' depicting dark web imagery using invisible inks; Piero Percoco (1987) with 'Puglia Cruda' in collaboration with Studio Cromie, offering a lysergic view of his homeland; Alessia Rollo (1982) with 'Parallel Eyes' documenting pagan rituals in Southern Italy; Federica Sasso (1992) with 'Aphasia' exploring memory loss through family films; and Alba Zari (1987) with 'The Y' tracing her biological father through a journey of identity.