Giardino Project's fourth edition in Salento merges art and ecology

The fourth edition of Giardino Project, a summer initiative in Trepuzzi, Salento, features artist Caterina Morigi and NABA professor Vincenzo Estremo. Curated by Giuseppe Arnesano, the project addresses climate change, referencing Alexander von Humboldt's 1802 studies on Chimborazo. Morigi's research spans natural, biological, and chemical themes, focusing on materials and techniques. The public program includes a participatory workshop, Carrier Shell, inspired by the Xenophora mollusk: on July 25, a beach exploration along the Adriatic coast to collect fragments, followed by a sculpture workshop on July 26 at Giardino Project's Trepuzzi venue. The workshop is free and open to all, promoting eco-friendly reflections on overproduction in contemporary art. A screening at Lecce's Cineporto on July 30, curated by Vincenzo Estremo under Closer Look, features works by Marine Hugonnier and Fiona Tan from a collection, aiming to reverse Anthropocene logic. A new partnership with Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, facilitated by senior curator Bernardo Follini, marks a significant development. Arnesano notes that while Turin has a mature art system with dialogue among artists, foundations, galleries, and institutions, Puglia is seeing emerging private initiatives like Casa Flash Art in Ostuni and a forthcoming show at Progetto in Lecce, driven by a generation of young curators.