Panorama Monopoli Festival Explores Hospitality Amid Italy's Political Climate
The second edition of Panorama Monopoli, a four-day festival organized by Vincenzo de Bellis for Italics, featured 60 artists across 20 locations in Monopoli, Italy. Drawing inspiration from the Greek idea of xenia, the event emphasized welcoming foreigners. Edi Hila's triptych 'People of the Future' (1997) pays tribute to 84 Albanian migrants who perished in the 1997 Tragedy of Otranto. Runo Lagomarsino's film 'Europa Point' (2019) addresses political boundaries, while Matteo Fato's installation (2022) connects to Monopoli's Madonna tradition. De Bellis noted that the festival steers clear of overt political themes, even with Italy's upcoming elections, where the far-right Fratelli d'Italia, led by Giorgia Meloni, is anticipated to prevail. The festival juxtaposes historical and modern artworks, backed by both municipal and private funding.
Key facts
- Panorama Monopoli is a four-day festival curated by Vincenzo de Bellis
- It features 60 artists across 20 exhibition venues in Monopoli, Italy
- The festival is organized by the Italian art consortium Italics
- This is its second edition, hosted in a different Italian town each year
- The curatorial theme is based on the Greek concept of xenia (hospitality)
- Edi Hila's 'People of the Future' (1997) commemorates 84 Albanian migrants who died in the 1997 Tragedy of Otranto
- Runo Lagomarsino's film 'Europa Point' (2019) was shown at Complesso San Leonardo
- Matteo Fato's installation references Monopoli's tradition of the Madonna arriving on a raft
Entities
Artists
- Vincenzo de Bellis
- Edi Hila
- Runo Lagomarsino
- Matteo Fato
- Giorgia Meloni
Institutions
- Italics
- Fratelli d'Italia
- ArtReview
Locations
- Monopoli
- Italy
- Bari
- Apulia
- Albania
- Otranto
- Strait of Gibraltar
- Mediterranean
- North Atlantic
- Europe
- Africa
- Middle East
- North Africa
- Ukraine
- Guinea
- Soviet Union
- Byzantine
- Norman
- Venetian
- Spanish
- Ottoman