The Project – COSMO PHOTO FEST

Genesis of a festival

Photography, since its inception, has played an irreplaceable role in constructing a new visual history of the world, with particular reference to the unstoppable progress of scientific thought and its divulgation. With equal awareness, we note the absence of moments of collective reflection on this theme. Hence the need to fill this void with the proposal to organize an international photography festival between Science and Art.

THE SPACE CITY

In 2022 Italy –along with the city of Colleferro in Rome’s province and the aerospace company Avio S.p.A. –hadthe presidency of CVA Community of Ariane Citiesand it becamethe first Italian European capital of space.

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION

On this occasion, Italy has presented itselfto the world as a pioneering country in the technological and aerospace innovation. It was not onlya celebrative event, but also the occasion for the regeneration of a territory that aims to social, cultural, economic development.

FORMATION, TECHNOLOGY, CULTURE AND INDUSTRY

Were the main ingredients of an extra-comprehensiveprogramme, which saw thecreation of a museum space -Museo SPAZIO Colleferroand the establishment of a School of Higher Education in the former IPIA (Istituto Professionale Industria e Artigianato Paolo Parodi Delfino) architectural structure following a valuable renovation and functional regeneration in the foundation nucleus ofthe Morandiana city monumental complex.

CULTURE AND EUROPEAN IDENTITY

Culture and creative freedom represent vital means for the European Union and its citizens in order to strengthen democracies and their values.In order to contribute to the developmentof European culture and identity, more support should be offered to young artists and creators, promoting moments of intercultural exchange and confrontation likely to raise awareness that Europe’s wealth is its cultural and linguistic diversity.
Among the various measures that go in the direction of promoting culture andintegration, in the year 2024 in the city of Colleferro will be realized the first edition of the International Festival of Photography entitled: COSMO -photography between science and art -in collaboration with Centro Sperimentale di Fotografia Adamsin Rome.

COSMO

– PHOTOGRAPHY BETWEEN SCIENCE AND ART –

“The beauty of the cosmos is given not only by unity in variety, but also by variety in unity”.

International Photography Festival 1st edition 2024

Anatomy of a festival

The festival will include scientific dissemination projections, editorial presentations, photography seminars, and meetings with scientists, artists, and photographers. The festival is structured into six thematic sections:

HISTORICAL SECTION

will be realized in collaboration with the photographic archives of research institutions: ENI, ESA, ENEA, CNR, ICR, and private companies. In this section, photography will demonstrate to be a fundamental tool in supporting the study and analysis of scientific factors starting from the second half of the nineteenth century.

SEEING SCIENCE

Will be realized with works whose purpose and vocation are predominantly the divulgationof scientific thought. The thematic areas covered range from astronomy to biology and mineralogy, cultural goods, to IR and UV reflectographic shots, etc.

NEW FRONTIERS AND NEW VISIONS SECTION

Will present photography that acts asa bridge between artistic authorship and scientific demands. In this section, photographic narratives of Science Fiction will also find hospitality.

COSMO IN COLLEFERRO

Will feature an artist’s intervention, chosen by the Artistic Directorof the festival, aimed at producing a permanentwork, site-specific,designed for the characteristics of the territory and aimed at enhancing it.

CALL FOR ENTRY

responding to the theme: “The future of science fiction? We live in it. […]”(William Gibson). Starting from this reflection by the well-known writer, this section will host photographic narratives that question the present, with particular attention to the relationship between humans, technology, science,and science fiction.

MULTISENSORY

Will consist of creating an immersive cabine for a multisensory experience, inside which NASA and/or ESA films will be projected, simulating the view of cosmic space seen from the portholes of a spacecraft.

Art Director

Gabriele Agostini

Technical Manager

Marco Di Meo

Organization Head

Luisa Briganti

Communication Head

Laura Bianchi

Press Office

Francesca Orsi

Social & webmaster

Edoardo Bettella e Veronica Conti

CSF Adams

Choosing Colleferro

The choice of Colleferro as the venue for this event is determined by the analysis of the history of a territory that was born with a fundamentally industrial, techno-scientific vocation, on the outskirts of Rome, and that over time, despite difficulties and adverse events, has not only maintained but also revitalized this perspectivelookingto the future. A place that daily confronts apparently incompatible demands and policies, those conservativeaimed at safeguarding the integrity of the territory, and those of the need to provide for its transformation. The metropolitan area of Colleferro offers itself, among other things, as a context in which prestigious disused industrial factories insist, which need to be revalued through proposals and reuse projects with cultural significance. Our idea aligns with this direction. This proposal arises from the awareness of the importance that photography, since its advent, has had in constructing a new visual history of the world, with particular reference to the unstoppable progress of scientific thought and its divulgation. With equal awareness, we note the absence of moments of collective reflection on this theme. Hence the need to fill this void with the proposal to organize an international photography festival between Science and Art.

Colleferro Municipality