In the Port Museum of Tricase, an old building has been completely restored and, from August 1st, it will be home to the new ” arts and crafts residence”. This result – achieved thanks to the major contribution of the Municipality of Tricase – takes shape in line with previous building regeneration works that led, inter alia, to the renovation of abandoned properties, hosting now the headquarters of CIHEAM Bari at Tricase. Those areas, which would otherwise have been lost, have been brought back to local communities, increasing awareness of the local heritage value and enhancing institutional synergies to share successful projects and winning visions.
This goal has been achieved thanks to Muse – Project Development and valorisation of Port Museums as natural and cultural heritage sites -which relies upon a close partnership with the Municipality of Tricase as lead partner, CIHEAM Bari, the Municipality of Messolonghi, the Port Authority of Korfu and the European Regional Framework for Cooperation (ERFC-Greece).
The general objective of the project is to develop, enhance and connect port museums as an expression of natural and cultural heritage with the involvement of coastal communities.
From a structural point of view, the areas have been completely thought out and rationalised to maximise their functionality and the interior furnishings have also been carefully redesigned: the original building, turned into an arts and crafts residence, features a themed layout of each room with a plastic representation of the various maritime crafts; there are also well-equipped craft workshops and multifunctional areas.
Sustainable growth, which underpins the intervention strategy, is pursued while recognizing the strong attractiveness of the restored site and of its refunctionalisation. Not only are properties, otherwise inaccessible, returned to the local community for a functional use, but also their huge potential can be unleashed to attract tourists and encourage interaction in the whole Salento area where they are located.
The new life of the restored property will start with the 2020 edition of the prestigious BRACT (COMMUNITY AND DISTRICT SHORT ARTISTS’ RESIDENCY PROGRAMME) dedicated to the topic Between land and sea: the coast, a borders and connection world, from August 2 to October 3.
For nine weeks, various groups of artists will spend a period of time living and working in close contact with the territory and the community, fostering reactions and relationships, enhancing art and generations’ distinctiveness. In a social context where they have already been discovered: the residents and the local community have contributed to selecting the groups of artists, thus starting a process of enhancement of the cultural and artistic value of the territory.
At the end of each week, the artists will present their work in the form of a show, concert, exhibition, debate, handing back, where possible, the artwork created as a legacy to the community, as part of a process of value creation that starts from the community and returns to the community.
The involvement of international artists is strategic to emphasize an integrated project which aims to revitalize the most ancient local tradition, spreading a universal message of shared harmony where young artists and world leading artists will take their place: in addition to performers from Italy, Poland, Spain and Germany, the Salento edition will feature Pulitzer Prize-winning American photographer David Hornback, Turin writer Francesca Rosso and Spanish photographer Erika Ede.
The opening ceremony will take place on August 1st at 8 pm in the new arts and crafts residence – Via Borgo Pescatori – Tricase Porto (Lecce).
BRACT Programme:
From 2 August: Friedrich Andreoni / Arcate (sculpture) project
From 9 August: Luca Bortolato / Io sono il porto (photographs)
From 16 August: Francesco Fossati / Organic Family (painting) project
From 30 August: David Hornback / project: From a Landlocked Perspective (photographs /writing)
From 6 September:Francesca Rosso/Federico Mazzi: Scrittura collaborativa (cross-media) project
From 13 September: Bogumil Ksiazek / Rocce di Enea (painting) project
From 20 September: Dante Litvak / Templi e rampe di una notte (visual arts) project
From 27 September: Erika Barahona Ede / The Order Disrupted in Paradise (photographs/poetry) project