XIV EDIZIONE FESTIVAL DELL'IMMAGINE

**The Fourteenth Edition of the Festival of Image Program Officially Announced
From November 17 to 24, artists on display, with cultural, musical, and theatrical events.**

The Riflessi D'Arte Association announces the program of the fourteenth edition of the Festival of Image, a cultural event taking place at the Palazzo Ducale in Martina Franca and the Casa delle Arti.
The Festival will open on Sunday, November 17, at 11:00 AM in the council chamber of Palazzo Ducale in Martina Franca.
"It has been a challenging year," comments President Cantore, "truth be told, each year is challenging in its way. This iconic culture project with the exhibition of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and applied arts is becoming an indispensable event for artists coming to us from across Italy."
Competitors from as many as 45 different cities will compete, totaling 90 participants, arriving in Martina Franca even from the islands, signaling how the event is gaining importance, notoriety, and identity year after year.
Around the main event, there are multiple collateral events; the Casa delle Arti has initiated a drawing workshop in recent weeks, aimed at the city's youth. In its final scheduled session, they will meet art critic Daniela Del Moro.
Del Moro, a graduate in the interdisciplinary arts, is a critic and art historian, writer, essayist, and cultural manager specializing in 19th and 20th-century painting (particularly focusing on the Avant-garde and artists active mainly between the 19th and 20th centuries). She began as a collaborator for various technical and specialized magazines since the late 1980s. She has thus deepened her research into the empathy dynamics between artwork and spectator, directing her writing towards clearer and more communicative expressiveness, dedicating her focus to promising youth followed during her years as an assistant and Honorary Academic at the sites of various National Fine Arts Academies. A multifaceted critic, she embraces historical-critical studies, archival research, artistic direction, and scientific collaboration related to the art market. In recent years, she has concentrated her activity within the STArt Theatre Company, created by Del Moro herself, to stage innovative shows intertwining various disciplines: music, singing, acting, and visual art. Since 2019, she has decided to delve further into Frida Kahlo's thematic exploration and her lived context, now becoming one of the leading experts on the great Mexican artist. She is currently engaged in publishing educational materials, including videos "Supplements for the Soul," with weekly dissemination on major social media platforms. Widely followed by the public, she is a prominent figure in the cultural artistic landscape.
President Cantore adds: "This year, we've envisioned the event not solely in its usual form, familiar to all, but felt the need to make it lively and harmonious, and it seemed a good idea to pair the art of music with its history, with moments dedicated to the great composer Giacomo Puccini as we approach the centenary of his death in 2024. Furthermore, the Valle d'Itria Festival has just celebrated its first fifty birthdays this year, with the entire city involved as it's a defining event of the area. Moreover, the presence of sculptor Ksenia Durnovò will provide a unique artistic experience accessible to many and free of charge through her demo exhibition. Durnovò, born in Moscow, initially worked in publishing and animation before moving to Florence in 2012 where she became passionate about both digital and physical sculpture. She is known for her solid anatomical foundation and remarkable ability to create works mainly in bronze resin."
During the vibrant artistic week, once again this year, various cultural events will complement the exhibition, ranging from music to theater, dance to literature, making this "stroll among the Arts" even more enjoyable. The works will be displayed within the rooms of the Museo delle Pianelle, Palazzo Ducale, Martina Franca.

Following is the event program:

**SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17**
11:00 AM, Opening Ceremony, ribbon-cutting at the council chamber, Palazzo Ducale.
Institutional greetings from Mayor Dr. Gianfranco Palmisano, Cultural Councilor Prof. Carlo Dilonardo, President of Riflessi d’Arte Association Tonio Cantore, jury presentation by lawyer Michele Punzi, jury president, Dr. Giuliana Scialpi, Dr. Giuliet Martulli, Dr. Cira Catucci, and art critic Daniela Del Moro.
Performance by the students of Antonella and Roberta Chirulli's Dance School Choréographie.
Presentation of the personal art exhibition by artist Cinzia Vanin curated by the art critic.

Hosted by Michele Lillo.
Free entry.

**THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21**
From 3:30 PM to 8:30 PM at “Casa delle Arti” rooms (via Arco Casavola 8)
Sculpture demo by artist Ksenia Durnovò. The event, innovative in its genre, is divided into two parts: a theoretical section and a practical session where the artist will demonstrate sculptural techniques by creating a piece representing a model present in the association’s rooms.

Free entry for Riflessi d’Arte members and Festival participants.

**FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22**
7:30 PM, at “Casa delle Arti” rooms (via Arco Casavola 8) art critic Dr. Daniela Del Moro will meet artists and art enthusiasts in a discussion titled "From Giotto to Fontana: A Journey through Art History."
Free entry.

**SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23**
9:30 AM “Casa delle Arti” (via Arco Casavola 8) the young artists from the art course, led by artist Maria De Carne, meet art critic Dr. Daniela Del Moro concluding their artistic journey.
6:00 PM council chamber, Palazzo Ducale, meeting with Maestro Pinuccio Pirazzoli. The artist meets the city with an engaging discourse on the evolution of music over time, “You Need an Ear.”

Free entry.

**SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24**
11:00 AM the council chamber of the Palazzo Ducale will host "Journey in Music... Curiosity and History from Radio to Television" a meeting and dialogue with Dr. Giacomo Schivo.

Free entry.

6:00 PM, council chamber Palazzo Ducale, the final evening of the XIV Festival of Image, awards ceremony for the contest winners, attended by authorities, contest judges, art critic Daniela Del Moro with a personal intervention "Kandinsky and Visual Harmonies" who will present the absolute winner among the winners of the various categories (paintings, drawings, sculptures and applied arts).
Performance by the theater group “Riflessi d’arte” with a tribute to the musician Giacomo Puccini on the centenary of his death, historical research by Prof. Angela Lacarbonara with coordination by Elina Semeraro.

The evening is hosted by Maristella Curri.

Free entry.

"A heartfelt and necessary thanks go to the Municipal administration, particularly to the cultural activities councilor Prof. Carlo Dilonardo, always attentive to cultural initiatives and always ready to encourage us to do more and better, contributing to the growth of citizens' interest, of all ages, in the vast world of art."
The final evening will be broadcast live entirely on the event’s social channels and the local television station Teletrullo.

Thank you...
To the president and artistic director Tonio Cantore and the association staff composed of: Cira Catucci, Vita D’Amico, Michele Lillo, Franco Raguso, Cinzia Castellana, and Maria Acquaviva.
To Design for Visual Communication Giuliet Martulli.
Thanks to all those involved in the success of the event in various capacities.

E. Romanelli
(Press and communication office)

Exhibition access hours Palazzo Ducale Martina Franca TA (second floor) from 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM.