PhEST - International festival of photography and arts

USPA NEWS - PhEST - See Beyond the Sea returns once again this year to transform Monopoli into an open-air museum, a diffused exhibition, continuing to open and reopen the doors of ancient churches and historic buildings, to satisfy those who for study, passion and profession have an interest in the world of photography and art. This year’s novelty is “Casa Santa”, between the old port and the church of Santa Teresa: a convent whose history began in the late 16th century by the order of the Discalced Carmelites and subsequently run until the 1980s by the nuns, who were responsible for welcoming young people in need.

For almost two months (from 9 September to 1 November) PhEST will once again bring to Monopoli the best of photography and art from all over the world to explore the theme of the year: “THE FUTURE”, investigated in its many forms and through certain macro-themes such as the environment, history, the human and technology. It will be an opportunity to evoke the interconnection between different temporal planes by imagining an era dominated by Artificial Intelligence and algorithms. «We will try to convey the theme in every possible way, not only from the point of view of content with 32 exhibitions dedicated to the Future, but this year more than ever also from the point of view of form with the use in the exhibitions of ledwalls, VR, photogrammetry, artificial intelligence, robots, immersive projections, augmented reality, facial recognition...» emphasise the festival organisers.

This is where the seventh edition of the International Festival of Photography and Art directed by Giovanni Troilo, in collaboration with curator Arianna Rinaldo and project manager Cinzia Negherbon, starts in Monopoli, Apulia, on 9 September (and until 1 November). The festival will host the works of some of the most renowned artists of different nationalities: Holland, England, USA, India, Turkey, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Belgium, and others. And as many as 3 artistic residencies with internationally renowned artists dedicated to the area.

Thirty-two exhibitions are planned for this seventh edition divided between Palazzo Palmieri, which has always been the beating heart of the Festival, which will host as many as 16, Casa Santa which will host four, the Church of SS. Peter and Paul with two exhibitions enriched by an interactive "game" for the public to "eliminate the unnecessary and superfluous images that surround us," the Carlo V Castle and the Church of San Salvatore with one exhibition each, and then eight more works and artists outdoors between Porto Vecchio, Antica Muraglia di Portavecchia, the Portavecchia waterfront, the Santa Maria waterfront, Molo Margherita, the new lawn next to the skate park area, Piazzetta Santa Maria, Via Garibaldi and Via Comes.

At Palazzo Palmieri there will be works by Christian Jankowski with "Heavy Weight History," Cooper & Gorfer with "Between These Folded Walls, Utopia," Davide Monteleone with "Sinomocene," Bil Zelman with "And Here We Are: Stories from the Sixth Extinction," Arko Datto with "Where Do We Go When The Final Wave Hits," the artist duo Schirra/Giraldi with "From Stone to Forest," Tommaso Rada, winner of the PhEST Pop-Up Open Call Prize with "A Story on Oil, Pollution and Racism," Lisetta Carmi with "Puglia 1960 - the First Images." a tribute to the recently deceased artist and winner of Panorama Monopoli's Italics d'Oro Award, Frederik Heyman with "A Speculative Present," Salvatore Vitale with "Compressed Prism," Marcel Top with "Sarah Hodges," Cristal Reza with "My World," Noeltan Arts with "MaTerre VR Experience" directed by Antonello Faretta, Collective no: topia with "AI ORACLE," Piero Percoco + Sam Youkilis with their residency "Live from Monopoli! " and finally Sano/sano with "2021." At Casa Santa, on the other hand, there will be works by Alexander Gronsky "Reenact/Repeat," Yelena Yemchuk "Odesa," Julia Krahn "St. Javelin" and Max Magaldi "Timelines."

In the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul there will be Erik Kessels & Thomas Mailander's "Smash Gallery" project and Alessandro Cracolici's work including that done in generative art residency "PhACES." The Charles V Castle will host Nick Brandt's "The Day May Break" and the church of San Salvatore "Cielofuturo" by Francesco Tosini. Closing this edition of PhEST are the outdoor exhibitions with "Under This Sun" by Mattia Balsamini, an artist-in-residence assigned on the Apulia of the future on display at Porto Vecchio, Quinn Russell Brown with "Rewind" on the ancient wall of Portavecchia, and I??k Kaya & Thomas Georg Blank with "Second Nature" on the Portavecchia waterfront, Michela Benaglia + Emanuela Colombo with "Beatle in the Box" on the Santa Maria waterfront, Zhang Chuang on the lawn near the Skate Park Area, "PhEST Pop-Up Open Call - FUTURE" suspended between the buildings on Via Garibaldi, Via Comes and Piazzetta Santa Maria, and an exhibition with photos of the James Webb Space Telescope (ESA) on the new jerseys of Molo Margherita.

Added to these is an augmented reality intervention on the mural "Beyond the Sea" created in Largo Portavecchia by Millo for PhEST in 2020, which will become "Millo Reloaded," thanks to the intervention of motion designer Fabrizio Centonze who will bring the original work to life. 12 of all those mentioned are the artists who will be featured on the opening days of PhEST on Sept. 9th, 10th and 11th. Mattia Balsamini, Quinn Russel Brown, Bil Zelman, Francesco Tosini, Salvatore Vitale, Michela Benaglia and Emanuela Colombo, Alessandro Cracolici, Sarah Cooper, Antonello Faretta - Noeltan Arts, Marcel Top and Collettivo Sano/sano will act as special guides and participate enriching the great program of events with their voices. As usual, in fact, in the first weekend of opening it will be possible not only to admire the exhibitions and projects selected for this edition, but also to participate in the collateral events that PhEST has organized.

Opening the Festival on September 10th and 11th are the free Portfolio Readings that will bring some of the most influential experts to Monopoli. The confrontation between high professionals and aspiring, emerging and established photographers represents a highly prospective activity for a level-headed festival. These readers in attendance are: Ronan Deshaies - Photo editor multimedia, M, Le Magazine du Monde, Le Monde, France Emma Bowkett - Photography Editor, FT Weekend Magazine, Financial Times, UK Jim Casper – Editor in chief an founder, LensCulture, Netherlands Maysa Moroni - Photo editor, Internazionale and L’Essenziale, Italy Chiara Bardelli Nonino - Senior visual editor, Vogue Italy Carol Körting - Photo editor LFI (Leica Fotografie International), Germany Maurizio Beucci - Head of Leica Akademie, Italy Stefano Carminati - Photo editor, Wired

There will be also talks organized in collaboration with the University of Bari. These include the one on "The Happiness of the Neo-Renaissance" with Stefano Bronzini (Rector University of Bari Aldo Moro), Marco Tronchetti Provera (CEO Pirelli Group), Salvatore Rossi (President Telecom Italia), Simonetta Dellomonaco (President Apulia Film Commission); the talk "Talent and Other Legends. Practical tips and myths to dispel to work and live (better)" with Nicolò Andreula and Giulio Xhaet. Plus "(You can't) Photograph the future" with Maurizio Beucci (Head of Leica Akademie Italia) and "Robots have arrived: the future starts today" in which the audience will get acquainted with Alpha Mini robots.

And then meetings and screenings at Largo Palmieri in collaboration with Sky Arte and international partners, musical events such as a dj-set with Populous, Ra Di Martino's Moonbird Variations performance with Silvia Calderoni, a dj-set with Alex Palmieri, sunrise yoga sessions and social robotics workshops dedicated to young audience. Also scheduled from Sept. 9th to 11 th is an activity in collaboration with Fuji Instax in which two emerging photographers will take and give snapshots of unforgettable moments to guests.

INFORMATION
PhEST - International festival of photography and arts Monopoli
FROM SEPTEMBER 9TH TO NOVEMBER 1ST 2022
OPENING SEPTEMBER, 9TH @7:30PM
EXTRAORDINARY OPENING ON OPENING DAYS OF SEPT. 10TH AND 11TH.
continuous hours from 10am to 10pm
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FROM SEPTEMBER 10TH TO NOVEMBER 1TH, 2022
OUTDOOR: 8 EXHIBITIONS ALWAYS OPEN WITH FREE ADMISSION
INDOOR: 24 EXHIBITIONS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WITH TICKETING
Palmieri Palace, Charles V Castle, Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, Church of St. Savior, Holy House
Hours from Sept. 12th:
Mondays: closed
Tuesday through Friday: 10am to 1pm | 5pm to 9pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10-13am | 5-10pm
Full ticket 9 €
Reduced ticket 6 €
Reduction valid for Trenitalia ticket holders to Monopoli, groups of 10, UniBa students, FIAF members, residents of the Municipality of Monopoli.
Entrance for School groups from September 20th
Reservation info@phest.it
3€ per student
Free admission
Under 14 and journalists with badges (by prior contact info@milaufficistampa.it).

International festival of photography and arts, born in 2016 in Monopoli, Apulia, PhEST is photography, cinema, music, art, contaminations from the Mediterranean. A way to give back its own voice to the thousand identities that make up the sea in the midst of the lands, redefining a new imaginary.