Giovanni Marinelli's Photos at Marcinelle Mark 60 Years of Mining Disaster

On August 8, 1956, a fire broke out at -975 meters in the Bois du Cazier coal mine in Marcinelle, Belgium, killing 262 miners of 12 nationalities, mostly Italian. Sixty years later, Italian photographer Giovanni Marinelli presents the exhibition "Marcinelle: 1956 – 2016. L’exposition" at the Bois du Cazier site, now a museum. Curated by Andrea Tinterri, director of BAG Gallery, and organized by Zeitgeist Art Exhibit Group, the show transcends the disaster to tell a story of immigration, labor, and the coal that stained hands and lungs. Marinelli began the project over two years ago, conducting site visits to understand the relationship between the mine and the urban context. He walked the streets lined with dark brick houses, studying remnants of the post-war era. The project traces back to the 1946 Italo-Belgian protocol, which exchanged Italian labor for Belgian coal amid post-war reconstruction. Marinelli emphasizes the strong Italian community in Marcinelle, many of whose relatives were part of that era. The exhibition runs from October 8 to December 4, 2016, at Le Bois du Cazier.