Cortona On The Move 2025: Beautiful Country Examines Italy's Fractures Through Photography

The 2025 edition of Cortona On The Move, titled 'Beautiful Country' and curated by Renata Ferri, shifts from traditional reportage toward contemporary research, presenting 34 exhibitions across Cortona that probe Italy's social, political, and ecological contradictions. The festival runs from July 10 to October 5, 2025, featuring immersive installations, collage, video, reinterpreted archives, and manipulated images. Key works include Silvia Camporesi's 'Paesaggio inverso' reconstructing submerged or inaccessible sites; Kourtney Roy's 'Failed Postcards from Napoli' turning the city into a mental and theatrical tableau; and Federica Sasso's 'Battaglia Reale' blurring physical identity with digital avatars. Political themes emerge in Julie Hascoët's documentation of the Apuan Alps' industrial depletion, Steffi Reimers' 'Guilty Grounds' on mafia violence in Calabria, and Alessandro Toscano's 'OverTourism' on tourist pressure. Other exhibitions address urban change (Milano ai bordi), migrant experiences (Io sono confine), and climate-tech intersections (Stella Inquieta). The festival also includes workshops, portfolio reviews, educational programs, and international collaborations, alongside the OTM Academy and the Peninsula grant for emerging Italian photographers. Ferri emphasizes slowing the gaze to interrogate images, stating 'Le crepe sono anche sotto la bellezza' (cracks are also beneath beauty).