BADOLATO Archivi - pino codispoti photographer

Badolato: a mosaic of vistas and ancient silences

PiCo — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 13:42:25 +0000

Badolato stands as a captivating medieval village on the Ionian coast of Calabria, within the province of Catanzaro. The town is renowned for its ancient history and recent urban restoration initiatives. In fact, its extraordinary architecture immediately strikes visitors, offering unforgettable vistas at every turn. Perched firmly upon a hill, the village reveals itself as a historical labyrinth. This dense web of narrow alleys, steep staircases, and small squares opens unexpectedly onto luminous horizons. Consequently, visitors find themselves immersed in an atmosphere suspended between the earth and the sky.
These narrow passages are known locally as rughe and represent the most authentic essence of the town. Since they are often vaulted by supporting arches or nearly interlocking houses, they create evocative tunnels of light and shadow. These paths act as guardians of the town’s secrets. During the walk, the gaze is captured by portals crafted from hewn stone. Many are embellished with noble coats of arms or ancient inscriptions. Therefore, these elements are not merely decorative; they serve as silent witnesses to the past. They reflect the echoes of the colors and daily life of former generations.
The true strength of Badolato lies, however, in its dominant position over the landscape. Thanks to this strategic location, every viewpoint or boundary wall transforms into an unparalleled panoramic terrace. From these vantage points, the view sweeps unobstructed across the Costa degli Aranci and the deep blue of the Ionian Sea. At the same time, turning toward the hinterland allows one to admire the Gallipari stream valley reaching toward the Sila Piccola mountains. Today, this beauty is preserved through significant recovery efforts. Many abandoned houses have found new life thanks to an international community that has passionately restored local materials.

L'articolo Badolato: a mosaic of vistas and ancient silences proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

Nectar and Tradition: towards a sustainable future

PiCo — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:50:14 +0000

Through my photographic research, I intend to investigate life within local territories, portraying the identity of places through the stories of their inhabitants. In this narrative, bees do not represent a diversion; on the contrary, they constitute the common thread that indissolubly binds nature to human beings. Therefore, through my images, I propose a journey inside the complex and precious world of the beehive.

Furthermore, it is essential to remember that bees, as industrious workers, do more than just guarantee the survival of plant species. In fact, their constant activity of collecting nectar and pollen extends over a radius of 1.5 km, pollinating about 70% of the planet’s plants and ensuring 35% of global food production. Consequently, my photographs lead us inside the hive to reveal the secrets of these creatures, from the honey super to the brood nest, where the queen and workers carry out their vital tasks for the community.

However, my story is not limited to biological documentation; it also captures the raw emotion of Dario, the son of my friend Andrea. Indeed, as Dario watches these insects with awe, he begins to share a passion for this fascinating world. Andrea, as an expert beekeeper, transmits his technical knowledge with dedication, teaching the boy that the true craft of beekeeping is built on a foundation of respect for the environment.

Ultimately, every gesture reveals the care Andrea nurtures for his surroundings, making these images an invitation to reflect on biodiversity. As a result, the bees’ story is transformed into a warning for a more conscious future. In conclusion, as Dario dreams of following in his father’s footsteps, this “human relay” ensures that the love for the land and the ancient tradition of beekeeping will be protected across generations.

INSTALLATION & VERNISSAGE

Nectar and Tradition - installation

EXHIBITIONS

Nectar and Tradition - vernissage

EXHIBITIONS

L'articolo Nectar and Tradition: towards a sustainable future proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

Lines: memories of a generation

PiCo — Sat, 06 Jul 2024 16:06:51 +0000

We are talking about those born in the first half of the twentieth century, survivors of wars and natural disasters. This generation saw their loved ones emigrate to the coast or to distant Australia. They are the guardians of collective memory and the bond that keeps our roots alive.

For years, I photographed these people among the “lines” (alleys) of the village, seeking the wisdom they hold. I used to sit on their doorsteps; their smiles would smooth the furrows of their faces as they told stories of lived experience.

Today, those doors are closed and the voices have faded. However, I owe my deep connection to this land to that generation. They made me a citizen of the world with a strong, rooted identity. Through my photographs, I honor their legacy, preserving the essence of our community for the future.

Lines - installation

EXHIBITIONS

Lines - vernissage

EXHIBITIONS

Lines - visitors

EXHIBITIONS

L'articolo Lines: memories of a generation proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

The breath of the barrels: the slow art of Micu “u Varirharu”

PiCo — Sat, 20 Aug 2022 16:16:34 +0000

This brings us directly inside his under-stairs workshop, which serves as a true sanctuary of wood and memory. Therefore, his workplace is not a conventional shop, but rather a private, domestic sanctuary. This tiny space under the stairs is his exclusive kingdom, where the dim light filters through, creating golden blades that dance upon the sawdust.

Consequently, amid the rich scents of damp chestnut and iron dust, Micu does not just practice an ordinary trade. On the contrary, he exercises his oblivion, establishing his personal resistance against a time that flows far too quickly.

In fact, every single varrile he builds is a profound meditation. The small wooden staves must be absolutely perfect, curved at just the right angle to embrace each other without leaving room for a single breath of air. Moreover, Micu holds them in his hands as if they were wounded birds.
Therefore, precision is never a matter of modern tools, but of pure touch. Consequently, his knotted, strong fingers remain his most reliable calipers as he works in the shadows.

This dedication makes him the last guardian of a fading Calabrian rural heritage. While he tightens the iron hoops around the small barrel, he does so with the subdued strength of someone who knows he is sealing much more than a mere container. In short, he is trapping a memory linked to the cycle of the vine—a precious fragment of Calabrian peasant life that risks vanishing forever.

Indeed, Micu “u Varirharu” stands as the ultimate guardian of a knowledge rooted in patience, absolute respect for nature, and the art of giving wood a second, dignified life.

Ultimately, as he strikes the final hoop, the metallic, crystal-clear sound resonates through the shadows of the under-stairs. This is not merely the noise of daily work, but the steadfast voice of Micu. Therefore, it is the story of an old craftsman who, in the silence of his humble space, continues to shape small, perfect forms, ensuring that the ancient soul of wine still finds a place to rest and dream.

L'articolo The breath of the barrels: the slow art of Micu “u Varirharu” proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

Beyond the Veil: the Sacred Vesting of Holy Saturday in Badolato

PiCo — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 21:39:24 +0000

In the heart of the village of Badolato, an ancient and profound rite takes place, far from the eyes of the crowd waiting for the Holy Saturday procession. This unique event is the private vesting of the participants. However, it is not merely a theatrical preparation. Instead, this moment represents a fragment of living history and a sacred transition, jealously guarded by the local brotherhoods. During this phase, the common man completely sheds his daily identity. Consequently, he dons the robes of the Passion characters, feeling the full weight of responsibility and devotion.

Inside the Secret Places of Preparation
Subsequently, the images lead us inside the secret places of preparation. Here, an atmosphere suspended between deep prayer and concentration reigns. Through intense close-ups, we capture the solemnity of the gestures and the delicacy in handling garments inherited from the past.
Furthermore, a deep emotion clearly shines through the faces of the participants. Shades of white, red, and gold alternate with darker tones. In this way, the ancient rite evokes the emotional complexity of an event that simultaneously celebrates both sorrow and hope.

A Vibrant Tradition Passed Through Generations
Indeed, every single detail speaks to us of a vibrant tradition. From the weave of the fabrics to the reflections on the armor, everything is passed down with love from generation to generation. Therefore, these images are an open invitation to look beyond the veil of the procession.
Moreover, they allow us to discover the hidden humanity behind the faces of the protagonists. In conclusion, this visual narrative is a tribute to the faith of the people of Badolato. Ultimately, it is the portrait of a tradition that continues to move and unite the entire community.

L'articolo Beyond the Veil: the Sacred Vesting of Holy Saturday in Badolato proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

Interval: a special dedication to my Father-in-Law

PiCo — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 19:28:14 +0000

Throughout our lives, we experience various intervals. Indeed, these are necessary moments of pause to recover our strength in order to start anew. We must do this to resume our daily work, family, and social routines; in short, to begin being present again. However, with the passing of the years, that interval no longer represents a simple temporary pause. Instead, it fully becomes your life.
A time comes when you can no longer work, your children have formed new families, and society might deem you useless. Consequently, it is precisely within this empty space that you must find the energy for a new life.

Finding new purpose and connection
Therefore, it becomes vital to dedicate yourself to your passions, which are always best ignited during youth. Moreover, you need to become that essential point of reference for your grandchildren that you once were for your own children. This is the perfect way to show society that you can still be deeply useful.
Certainly, starting over is much easier if the place where you live remains on a human scale. It helps significantly if your partner is still by your side, if your children’s family is still your family, and if your friends truly miss your presence.
Ultimately, this great interval of later life will have other small intervals of its own. In fact, you will always feel the necessity to take a pause to recharge and begin, day after day, being present for yourself and for others.

L'articolo Interval: a special dedication to my Father-in-Law proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

The Supreme Chant: a Woman’s Voice in the wounded forest

PiCo — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 16:11:42 +0000

Badolato: Where Ashes Become Song.

Black charcoal and grey ashes are suffocating the vibrant green of the Mediterranean scrub in the lower Ionian leap of Calabria. Indeed, during the night, the fierce red of the fire dazzles the mountains while a dense column of smoke deeply wounds the starry sky.

Consequently, a light, almost silent ash settles softly upon our houses, while the intense heat burns both our skin and our soul.

During the day, the deafening roar of Canadair planes and helicopters turns the landscape into an apocalyptic film set. However, the fire continues to advance relentlessly, devouring centuries-old olive trees, oaks, and chestnuts. Therefore, after twelve long days of siege, the sense of helplessness becomes total, and you feel yourself burning inside.

This brings us to art as an answer to the impossible. Indeed, where nature falls silent, Art raises its voice with strength. Moreover, the local community has gathered tightly around the Teatro del Carro to say a definitive “no” to this environmental disaster.

Consequently, among the charred trees of the Badolato forest, within a lunar and ghostly landscape, the verses of the Supreme Poet Dante have found a new, vital breath.

The performance “L’ALTISSIMO CANTO. In Voce di Donna” (The Supreme Chant: In a Woman’s Voice), conceived and directed by Luca Maria Michienzi, has successfully transformed this immense pain into a powerful testament. In fact, the voices of Annamaria Zuccaro, Anna Maria de Luca, Lucia Cristofano, and Paola Tarantino, beautifully accompanied by the music of Remo De Vico, have pierced the heavy silence of the ashes. Ultimately, they have restored humanity to a place where everything seemed lost forever.

L'articolo The Supreme Chant: a Woman’s Voice in the wounded forest proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

Peppino Caminiti: a day at Morena

PiCo — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:19:30 +0000

My grandfather’s cousin: a family friend. This summer, I went to visit Peppino at Morena, his smallholding located on the southern slope of Badolato Borgo. Meanwhile, in the company of his wife, Vittoria, we sat in the cool shade of the cottage and talked at length about the past.

Indeed, if it had been possible, I would have loved to transform their words immediately into images. These were vivid moments of deep familiarity with my maternal grandparents and of authentic social life in the village. Therefore, this meeting felt like a true journey back in time.

Today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to gather these moments of rural life directly from those who experienced them firsthand. Walking along the narrow alleys, climbing up and down from one side of the village to the other, you sometimes no longer feel that deep sense of belonging to the place.

Consequently, you no longer easily meet those who, together with your grandparents, built your very roots. In fact, you no longer hear that voice which, until a few years ago, warmed your heart.

This brings us to the story of the Morena smallholding and life in the fields of Badolato. However, inside the old cottage, time seems to have kept its value completely intact. Therefore, it is truly delightful to listen to them.

Moreover, even a squirrel, intrigued by our conversation, peeps out from one of the cottage windows. Theirs is a life lived with deep passion and with a sacred respect for things and people. Consequently, it is a private life, yet one that remains constantly open to others with sincere brotherly love.

Peppino’s small eyes twinkle as he tells his story, lighting up with a joyful glow. Meanwhile, as we walk through the fields of Morena, the beating summer sun draws deep shadows across his face.

All around us, the fruits of the vegetable garden, the breeding of rabbits, chickens, and pigs, the vines, the olive trees, and the large “gebbia” (the water basin used for irrigation) take shape. Indeed, everything speaks of hard work and dedication.

Ultimately, I owe a huge thank you to Peppino and Vittoria for the time they dedicated to me. Above all, I thank them for the powerful emotions they managed to convey through their affection and their extraordinary simplicity.

L'articolo Peppino Caminiti: a day at Morena proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

P_ReESISTENZE: memories of a village

PiCo — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 21:00:50 +0000

P_ReESISTENZE is a photography project that traverses the history of an ancient Calabrian village—Badolato, my birthplace. Specifically, it collects “memories” and traces of its past. These elements have shaped, over time and throughout my career, the poetics and directions of my practice.

By focusing on details and elements that characterize the current urban landscape, I explored the paths that forged my character. These shots capture everything from close-ups of abandoned homes to scattered ruins. In addition, they delve into tiny details of decaying domestic spaces that were once alive and lived-in. Consequently, this journey reshaped my imagination and my relationship with the camera. As a result, it built a dialogue between object and context in every frame to evoke the very soul and spirit of a place.

Indeed, the human presence in this work is found within the nuances. Moreover, objects and residues of lives, now corroded by time and absence, stand as a testament to indelible existences. They represent a story that demands to be reconstructed. Therefore, we must perform a meticulous gathering of what human action produces and has produced throughout its course.

For this reason, this series of images is built around the urgent need to tie back the threads of memory. Every element recalls the theme of human passage and its essence. Meanwhile, the narrative unfolds in a succession of daily life scenes. However, we can only imagine these moments as embedded within the photographs.

Initially conceived as an intimate and private work, this visual narrative soon revealed a broader necessity. It quickly became the perfect opportunity to collectively interpret the memory of the Village. This active engagement is capable of enriching each shot. In fact, every image constitutes an open space. It is a glimpse that activates a deep synergy between those who observe and the one who observed and shot.

Frequently, I asked myself how to embellish these views, which are intense and terrible at the same time. I also wondered how to bring back to light those existences destined for oblivion. Floors, old chipped tiles, collapsed walls, and cracks tell the story of what used to be. These marks look like deep, unhealable wounds. Similarly, rusted doors and handles speak within the powerful dialectic between past and present. Ultimately, this was something I felt compelled to return to the community. My goal was to explore a past that sheds light on the present and points toward a future.

In light of these reflections and intentions, the photography project P_ReESISTENZE naturally required a broader involvement of the community. This group serves as my anchor. This is precisely how the creative workshop P_ReESISTENZE/LAB was born. Furthermore, this laboratory was designed to expand the exhibition path, creating a solid cooperation between the cultural and artistic actors of the region.

The main purpose was to set off a chain of reACTIONS to trigger active participation from the viewer. Thanks to the invaluable collaboration of Vincenzo Squillacioti, the shots were entrusted to the true keepers of our Village’s culture and traditions. Inspired by the images, they shared the history and stories of Badolato. In doing so, they created dedicated captions and shared the creative process of the entire project. Consequently, the journey of the exhibition P_ReESISTENZE has become a choral work entirely dedicated to the practice of memory, which is a collective asset of inestimable value.

BACKSTAGE

L'articolo P_ReESISTENZE: memories of a village proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

Badolato: the village in an evening dress

PiCo — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 00:36:39 +0000

The medieval village of Badolato, suspended between the Ionian hills and the sea, sheds its daily garments to don the timeless elegance of twilight. Indeed, this visual work explores the stunning metamorphosis of the historic center through the transition between night and dawn.
When the sun sets, Badolato wears its finest “evening dress.” Consequently, a delicate embroidery of warm lights reflects on the ancient stones, while deep shadows completely reshape the narrow alleys.

From Twilight to the Awakening of Dawn
The narrative continues smoothly until the exact moment of awakening. Furthermore, this is when the very first lights of dawn begin to lift the night veil from the hills. This natural process beautifully restores the original colors of the village in a slow dance of pastel shades.
Therefore, through these evocative vistas, the intimate soul of a place that never ceases to narrate its own beauty emerges clearly. Ultimately, this transition captures a silent and hidden side of Calabria that travelers rarely get to experience.

L'articolo Badolato: the village in an evening dress proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

BADOLATO Archivi - pino codispoti photographer

Badolato: a mosaic of vistas and ancient silences

Nectar and Tradition: towards a sustainable future

Nectar and Tradition - installation

Nectar and Tradition - vernissage

Lines: memories of a generation

Lines - installation

Lines - vernissage

Lines - visitors

The breath of the barrels: the slow art of Micu “u Varirharu”

Beyond the Veil: the Sacred Vesting of Holy Saturday in Badolato

Interval: a special dedication to my Father-in-Law

The Supreme Chant: a Woman’s Voice in the wounded forest

Peppino Caminiti: a day at Morena

P_ReESISTENZE: memories of a village

Vernissage at Palazzo Gallelli Badolato

Installation at Palazzo Gallelli Badolato

The story behind an image

Vernissage MANN

Installation MANN

Badolato: the village in an evening dress