Reggio Emilia is an ancient Italian town, situated on the ancient roman Via Aemilia and it still has its medieval center as well as ducal monuments from the Este family. Still relevant today is the cultural environment of the Reggio Emilia area, as cradle of Italian excellences in various fields (i.e. the painter Giorgio Morandi), including photography.
The ninth edition of European Photography 2014, has settled within , “Reggio Emilia an interesting city from an architectural standpoint, but it has also a particular atmosphere made up of images and cultural researches, which somehow transform the historical center in a workshop on creativity. Since its beginning, the festival has been turning into something more and more positive and proactive, as Elisabetta Farioli, organizer of the project on behalf of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, says.
“The initiative, at its very beginning , had its base mainly on our territory and its cultural resources. You cannot forget that Luigi Ghirri worked in the Reggio’s area and the passion for photography has always pervaded our town , thanks also to the role of the local photographic clubs. These are the roots of this cultural event, strongly supported by the local municipality and institutions , which involves the citizens as a whole. The festival has an atmosphere similar to the one you feel in Arles . Of course, features are different , because Reggio Emilia is an industrial and agricultural center and not a classical touristic town. Photography, in this context, is thought as a means of “democratic accessibility” by the public to culture and images, to be approached however in a problematic perspective, similar to those used for contemporary art. Together with a reflection on the potential of the photographic medium and on its criticality, there is also the awareness that the festival is a major public event (it is coordinated and organized by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, who finances 50% of it). Fotografia Europea is something of value, since most of the city is involved in working on it from September to May””
Among the plus of the festival, there are the many venues for the exhibits, all historical places worth a visit by themselves, and the growing level of the event.
“Over the years we gave the festival a theme, in order to increase the quality. And the plurality of locations spread throughout the city contributes to the extensive presence of images and culture all over it. Fotografia Europea is made up of various tendency , that fit together well in a synergic way. So, within the event, masters such as Ghirri or List, Sarah Moon, Bloomberg & Chanarine or Lessing and younger authors can coexist, offering a variety of works. In this very context we can wonder about the role of contemporary photography”, Farioli adds.
http://www.fotografiaeuropea.it/
