Photographer Cristian Castelnuovo revives memory of Carbonia miners
A new project by photographer Cristian Castelnuovo, in collaboration with four other artists, revisits the history of Carbonia, a Sardinian mining city founded in 1938 by the Fascist regime. The project, titled 'Polvere della memoria,' uses archival documents and images to evoke the sacrifices of miners. Giovanni Sesia gilds miners' faces as icons of spirituality, while Andrea Forges Davanzati encases a Giacometti-like miner in a steel tetrahedron symbolizing carbon. Castelnuovo himself selects defective negatives without post-production to honor lost souls. The exhibition also includes a text by Beppe Fumagalli and an intervention by Cicci Borghi on the novel 'How Green Was My Valley.' The show was held at Centro Fotografico in Cagliari in 2022.
Key facts
- Carbonia was founded in 1938 as a model city by the Fascist regime on a coal basin exploited since the late 19th century.
- Cristian Castelnuovo led the project 'Polvere della memoria' with four other artists.
- Giovanni Sesia covers miners' faces with gold as symbols of spirituality.
- Andrea Forges Davanzati creates a dark miner figure in a steel tetrahedron representing carbon.
- Castelnuovo uses defective negatives without post-production to honor miners.
- The project includes a text by Beppe Fumagalli and an intervention by Cicci Borghi on 'How Green Was My Valley.'
- The exhibition was held at Centro Fotografico in Cagliari in 2022.
- The project aims to recall the sacrifices and sufferings of the mining community.
Entities
Artists
- Cristian Castelnuovo
- Giovanni Sesia
- Andrea Forges Davanzati
- Beppe Fumagalli
- Cicci Borghi
Institutions
- Centro Fotografico
- Artribune
Locations
- Carbonia
- Sardinia
- Italy
- Cagliari