Notte Nera Festival Returns to Serra de’ Conti with Tree-Themed Program

On August 20, 2016, the medieval town of Serra de’ Conti in the Marche region of Italy will host the tenth edition of Notte Nera, a nocturnal festival running from sunset until nearly dawn. The event, directed by Sabrina Maggiori, transforms the town's squares, alleys, and stairways into a dreamlike space with over thirty site-specific works by artists, performers, musicians, filmmakers, and actors. This year's theme is 'Alberi' (Trees), which Maggiori describes as 'incubators of the imaginary' that exercise the gaze both visually and metaphorically. The visual arts program includes installations by Matteo Ufocinque Capobianco, Mariagrazia Pontorno, Beatrice Pucci, Luca Lavatori, and Fatma Ibrahimi. Notte Nera is part of the Distretto Culturale Evoluto della Regione Marche project 'La Valle della Creatività', networking with local cultural entities such as the Museo del Balì and the Corto Dorico Film Festival. The festival aims to offer an atypical artistic experience based on itinerant discovery in an area far from major tourist flows and urban centers, fostering experimentation.