Franz Cerami's Lighting Flowers Bagnoli Illuminates Ex-Italsider Steelworks

The ex-Italsider steelworks in Bagnoli, Naples, closed for over thirty years, is undergoing a new phase of urban regeneration. Alongside projects by Extraordinary Commissioner Gaetano Manfredi and an agreement with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, contemporary art is playing a key role. Until November 12, 2024, the public art intervention Lighting Flowers Bagnoli by artist Franz Cerami introduces light and color installations on the factory's facades, including the steel mill, blast furnace, and quenching tower. The project, promoted by Manfredi in collaboration with Invitalia, aims to restore the industrial archaeology site to the community. In its first eight days of opening in September, it attracted over 1,800 visitors. The installations are accessible Thursday to Saturday, with a show open daily except Monday from 8 PM to midnight. Original music by Michele Chiavarini accompanies the tour, and free tickets are available online at lightingflowers.com. The project uses graffiti and videomapping to encourage reflection on the site's potential, aiming to shift public perception toward regeneration.