Carlo Vigni's Photographs of Abandoned IDIT Plant in Siena

Carlo Vigni's photographic series 'L'industria della polvere' documents the abandoned IDIT (Industria di Disidratazione Isola Tressa) plant in Siena, Italy. Built in the early 1960s between the Cassia road and the Siena-Grosseto railway line along the Via Francigena, the plant was a landmark for two generations of Val d'Arbia residents. Its 75-meter 'tomato tower' once gleamed with glass cladding but now stands as a reinforced concrete skeleton. The plant opened in 1960 and ceased production after only six years. Vigni, born in Siena in 1973, was fascinated by the structure since childhood when he attended school nearby. Over the last decade, he conducted meticulous photographic surveys combining landscape and architectural photography, resulting in large-format black-and-white images. Curator Carlo Nepi notes that for those born after its construction, the IDIT is part of the landscape, a reassuring element that signals home. Giovanna Calvenzi describes the work as a 'testimony' that maintains an equitable distance and documentary language. The project includes a video component: historical footage from the Istituto Luce showing the plant's opening, aerial footage by Luca Gentili, and a short film by Mirko Machetti. The exhibition catalog is published by Postcart.