Emulsioni Festival 2026: Participatory Analog Photography Event in Ferrania

The second edition of Emulsioni Festival, dedicated to analog photography and industrial memory, will take place from May 22 to 24, 2026, in Ferrania, Val Bormida, Italy. The festival activates spaces of the former Ferrania film factory and the town with a free, widespread program. It was conceived by Francesca Bergadano, Silvia Margaria, and Federica Pompejano, curated with Dialoghi d'Arte, Gloria Bovio, and Andrea Canziani. The program includes a diffuse installation titled 'Argento Vivo' featuring portraits by Umberto Costamagna displayed as posters on factory buildings; workshops by artists such as Elena Pugliese, Alice Benessia, Alessandro Chiossone, Roberta Volpone, Echollective, Ombretta Dogliotti, and Francesca Bergadano; a cyanotype lab; a darkroom demonstration by former factory worker Andrea Biscosi; portrait sessions with Costamagna; a book presentation of Philip Perkis's 'Insegnare fotografia'; a photo selection 'On a line' by Benessia; a projection of private and institutional archives in collaboration with Ferrania Film Museum, Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino, and Archivio Nazionale Cinema d'Impresa di Ivrea; guided walks with former workers; bicycle tours; and talks on industrial archaeology, analog practices, ecological awareness, and visual memory. Participants include scholars, artists, and local associations. The festival aims to build new territorial narratives and strengthen the bond between community and heritage.