Cortona On The Move 2022: New Directors and International Ambitions

The photography festival Cortona On The Move, held in the medieval Tuscan town of Cortona, enters its twelfth edition (July 14–October 2) with a new leadership team. Veronica Nicolardi becomes director and Paolo Woods artistic director, replacing Antonio Carloni (now vice-director of Intesa Sanpaolo's Gallerie d'Italia in Turin) and Arianna Rinaldo. The festival, founded in 2011 by the cultural association ONTHEMOVE, focuses on contemporary photography and visual communication. Nicolardi, who has worked with the festival since its third year, aims to strengthen local ties while expanding international collaborations, citing the festival's recent presence in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. Woods introduces the theme 'Me, Myself and Eye,' inspired by Billie Holiday's song, encouraging viewers to question photography's multiple meanings. The program includes inaugural days (July 14–17) with talks, workshops, and portfolio reviews, followed by exhibitions across Cortona's historic center, the Fortezza Medicea del Girifalco, and a new venue 'Stazione C' in Camucia (a former grain warehouse). Featured artists include Walter Niedermayr (project on the Gallerie d'Italia construction site) and Martin Parr (conversation with anonymous photographers). The festival also launches the Cortona On The Move Award for emerging photographers.