A Different Tale: villages and towns seen by illustrators

‘’A Different Tale‘’ is the cultural initiative promoted by Calabria Straordinaria to make the beauty of Calabria known in Italy and abroad through the artistic language of illustration.

Giuseppe Talarico and Deborah De Rose, who are in charge of the artistic direction and curatorship of the project, have conceived a unique format: a travelling exhibition composed of 24 works dedicated to the provincial capitals and The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy in Calabria, involving 21 artists (16 of them Calabrian) among the most active on the national scene.

Let's find out more about the exhibition ‘’A Different Tale‘’ and the places that inspired it.

The exhibition ‘’A Different Tale‘’ was set up with the aim of creating an emotional and cultural link between Calabrians living abroad and their homeland, celebrating the beauty, history and traditions of the villages and recounting a new reality, made up of excellence and professionalism in the field of art and the new languages of communication.

The objective of telling the story of the villages and towns of Calabria through an unprecedented point of view, conveying their beauty to the world, passes through the art of illustration. The initiative involved 21 artists, 16 of them Calabrian, asking them to take inspiration from the chosen places (5 provincial capitals and 16 of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy), the stories and popular traditions that characterise them to create new images of the territory, revisited in a contemporary and personal key. While the Calabrian group worked on the theme of villages, the national illustrators called upon to represent the towns come from the artistic residency experience linked to ‘’Cose Belle Festival‘’ and ‘’Calabria illustrata‘’.

The works in the exhibition ‘’A Different Tale‘’ resort to the use of augmented reality (AR) and allow the user to acquire a series of additional information by framing them with their smartphone, after downloading the Artivive App: this opens a ‘’window‘’ of in-depth information on the place represented and an immersive, colourful and interactive experience. The animations and graphics were taken care of by Stefano Fiorello, motion designer, and Michela Franco, graphic designer.

‘’A Different Tale‘’ consists of 24 works, 5 of which are dedicated to the illustration of provincial capitals:

• Catanzaro seen by Francesca Gastone
• Cosenza seen by Giovanni Gastaldi
• Crotone seen by Valerio Sigismondi
• Reggio Calabria as seen by Luca Grassi
• Vibo Valentia as seen by Laura Angelucci

The remaining 16 represent The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy in Calabria:

• Aieta (CS) as seen by Federica Valenzisi
• Altomonte (CS) as seen by Francesco Caporale
• Badolato (CZ) as seen by Enrico Focarelli Barone
• Bova (RC) as seen by Riccardo Forte
• Buonvicino (CS) as seen by Carla Tomaino
• Caccuri (KR) as seen by Pierdomenico Sirianni
• Chianalea di Scilla (RC) as seen by Arianna D'Agostino
• Civita (CS) as seen by Giuseppe Talarico
• Fiumefreddo Bruzio (CS) seen by Simonluca Spadanuda
• Gerace (RC) as seen by Massimo Sirelli
• Morano Calabro (CS) as seen by Alessia Moretti
• Oriolo (CS) as seen by Giorgio Grano
• Rocca Imperiale (CS) as seen by Francesco Montesanti
• Santa Severina (KR) as seen by Aurora Tassoni
• Stilo (RC) as seen by Francesca Mallamaci
• Tropea (VV) as seen by Gabriele Templorini

Finally, 3 works curated by Giuseppe Talarico, represent as many identity themes of a Calabria to be discovered:

• Faith - A land of deep spirituality, criss-crossed by sacred places immersed in greenery and connected by a series of historical-religious and naturalistic Paths, the Calabria of faith and of the Jubilee transfers into popular devotion a religious heritage of ancient origins, which like few can unite East and West. Among the various religious events, the artist emphasises the evocative processions of the ‘’Madonna in the Sea‘’, carried by boat.
• History - Calabria's rich historical and archaeological heritage tells of a land inhabited since prehistoric times by peoples of different origins, who intertwined to make it a beacon of civilisation in the Mediterranean: the heart of Magna Graecia, with its excellent colonies, traversed by the Romans, Goths, Byzantines, Normans, Arabs, Angevins, Aragons and Bourbon kings, Calabria has given the world some of the most precious chapters of ancient and contemporary history.
• Tradition - Home to three different ethno-linguistic minorities (Italo-Albanian-Abëreshë, Waldesian-Occitan and Grecanic), Calabria preserves intact its popular traditions, as well as a number of ancient crafts and activities, festivals, fairs and rituals of pagan origin. Among the most identifying folkloristic manifestations is undoubtedly the Tarantella Calabrese, a typical dance that the illustrator captures in the costumes and symbolic gestures of a dancing couple.