Fari e Torri del Fuoco Segreto: Site-Specific Works Illuminate Puglia's Coast

The Fondazione Pino Pascali in Polignano a Mare, in collaboration with the Regione Puglia, has launched the project 'Fari e Torri del fuoco segreto' to restore and revitalize six coastal towers and lighthouses along 400 km of Puglia's coastline, from Vieste to Otranto. The project involved six Italian artists—Gea Casolaro, Serena Fineschi, Claudia Giannuli, Francesco Lauretta, Isabella Mongelli, and Virginia Zanetti—who created site-specific works, performances, and interventions at Torre San Felice (Vieste), Torre Pietra (Margherita di Savoia), Torre Calderina (Molfetta), Faro di San Cataldo (Bari), Faro di Punta Palascìa (Otranto), and Torre-Faro Carlo V (Torre San Giovanni, Ugento). The works, spanning painting, sculpture, installation, video, photography, and performance, reinterpret the concept of 'fuoco segreto' or 'fiamma imperitura' from Tolkien's literary work, symbolizing the autonomy of existence, ideas, and action. The project is part of the CoHeN-Coastal Heritage Network, funded by the Interreg Greece-Italy 2014/2020 program. The collective exhibition, curated by Christian Caliandro and Nicola Zito, is housed at the Fondazione Pascali and documents the interventions initiated in 2023 and realized in 2024.