European seaport narratives: mirroring history in contemporary media

Abstract

Giuliano is an art historian and curator. His research explores the connec tions among Italian neo-avant-gardes, as well as contemporary photographic prac-tices, and the changing conception and role of artistic heritage and landscape in Italy. In the following text, Sergio takes as a starting point a seminal programme of photographic commissioning in Naples in the late twentieth century that launched an enquiry into the changing fabric and image of the iconic Southern Italian port city. From there, the reflection moves into a discussion of the role that aesthetic representations can play in the present, as they engage with mutating coastal and hinterland landscapes, and seascapes. In addition, Sergio presents an exhibition by Claire Tenu, a video by Lorenzo Casali and Micol Roubini, and a work by Domenico Antonio Mancini.