YEAST Photo Festival 2023 in Matino, Salento Focuses on Sustainability

The second edition of YEAST Photo Festival takes place in Matino, a small town in the Salento region of Italy, from November 2023. The festival, named after the Italian word for yeast, is centered on social and environmental sustainability and food culture. It was founded by photographers Flavio&Frank and co-directed by Veronica Nicolardi of Cortona On the Move. The 2023 edition features 13 solo exhibitions and one group show by over 40 international artists, displayed in unconventional venues across Matino, including ancient underground oil mills, a butcher shop, the Palazzo dei Marchesi del Tufo, and an orange grove. New this year: the festival expands beyond Matino to Lecce with two exhibitions in collaboration with ArtWork, and a site-specific installation by Lys Arango on malnutrition in indigenous communities in Guatemala, hosted at Masseria Le Stanzie. Another collaboration with Everything is Connected aims to map sustainable actions by visitors and locals. Featured artists include Mario Wezel, Alain Schroeder, Matthieu Nicol, Henry Hargreaves, Paolo Woods, and Moira Ricci. Special guests include chef Alessandro Borghese and Andro, founder of the Negramaro band. The festival closes with a surprise concert in collaboration with Locomotive Jazz Festival on November 11. YEAST Photo Festival promotes reflection on the relationship between nourishment and identity, tradition and environmental impact, through exhibitions, debates, and portfolio readings.