Pietro Fortuna's NOVITAS installation at Matera's Parco della Murgia
In 2019, during Matera's tenure as European Capital of Culture, Pietro Fortuna (born 1950 in Padua) installed NOVITAS at Belvedere Piccolo in the Parco della Murgia Materana. The work consists of five iron elements bent into arches, each supporting an object made by the artist. The installation engages with the panoramic landscape, referencing the site's layered history, including its use as a set for Pasolini's film on the Passion of Christ. Fortuna describes the work as emerging from a dialogue between prudence and temerity, concepts he links to thinkers like Lucretius, Blumenberg, Nietzsche, and Friedrich. He distinguishes 'novitas' from modern notions of novelty, arguing that true newness belongs to life itself, which is perpetually self-renewing and indifferent to human aspirations. The interview was conducted by Lori Adragna, an art historian and independent curator based in Rome.
Key facts
- Pietro Fortuna installed NOVITAS at Belvedere Piccolo, Parco della Murgia, Matera in 2019.
- Matera was European Capital of Culture in 2019.
- The installation comprises five iron elements structured as arches, supporting objects made by the artist.
- The site was used as a set for Pasolini's film on the Passion of Christ.
- Fortuna references Lucretius, Blumenberg, Nietzsche, and Friedrich in discussing the work.
- The artist distinguishes 'novitas' from modern concepts of novelty.
- Fortuna argues that life is perpetually new and indifferent to human aspirations.
- The interview was conducted by Lori Adragna, an art historian and independent curator.
Entities
Artists
- Pietro Fortuna
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Lori Adragna
Institutions
- Parco della Murgia Materana
- Artribune
Locations
- Matera
- Italy
- Padua
- Rome
- Belvedere Piccolo
- Parco della Murgia