Exhibition > In the kingdom of the chamois

The photography exhibition Nel regno dei camosci (In the Kingdom of the Chamois) depicts the mountains and their breathtaking views, crags and screes; it captures the aftermath of an avalanche, innocent spring flowers, inquisitive marmots, echoes and scars of war, and the roar of a storm drowned by the tangible, white silence of solitude; it also portrays marginalisation, sometimes inflicted, but sometimes sought behind old rock walls blackened by fires lit to warm weary, but generous, hearts.

The chamois hides amidst rocks, sheer drops and unreachable places, watching humans, rarely showing itself; the mountains are its kingdom. Annamaria Castellan’s photographs are an invitation to venture into its domain, seek its tracks, yearn for its presence, and train the senses.

This is why the chamois does not appear in the exhibition; instead it is described with extracts from Il peso della farfalla, (The Weight of the Butterfly), the new book by Erri De Luca published by Feltrinelli. The publication of these extracts is by kind permission of Agenzia Letteraria Susanna Zevi. De Luca’s poetry accompanies the photographs and, at times, intertwines with them, supporting and amplifying their meaning.

Castellan has chosen eleven short extracts from Il peso della farfalla, windows onto themes such as the eternal struggle between life and death, the alternating role of hunter and hunted, and our helplessness when up against the power and laws of Nature, which have always fascinated us and at times, turned us into visionaries.

The exhibition interweaves photography and literature in a unique manner, providing an insight into Castellan’s undying love for the kingdom of the chamois: the mountains.  

Annamaria Castellan was born in Trieste. She is a photographer, freelance journalist, co-founder of Associazione Cultura Viva, and director of Circolo Fotografico Fincantieri-Wartsila. In 2002, she founded Associazione Acquamarina, of which she is president; on behalf of this association, she promotes photography, art and culture by organising exhibitions, meetings, displays and photography courses for adults and children in a quest to foster photograph literacy through experimental Off-Camera techniques. She started her career with photo-reportage, moving on to portraits as well as landscape and wildlife photography. In recent years, she has turned her attention to abstract and informal expression. Today, almost all of her photographs are digital. She has given both one-person and collective exhibitions. Some of her photographs are part of private collections; others have been published in both national and international magazines.

Annamaria Castellan’s photographs can be viewed at the MontagnaLibri exhibition area in Piazza Fiera.
Open: Thursday 29 April from 6 pm to 8 pm. From 30 April to 9 May from 10 am to 8 pm