E fu sera e fu mattina

“Evening came and morning followed”
In Martina Franca, a journey through art, fashion, music, and thought

There are projects that develop like maps, others like stories. “Evening came and morning followed” belongs to this second dimension: a cultural path that unfolds in time and space, accompanying Martina Franca from April 30 to June 6, 2026, through an itinerary made up of intertwined languages and shared visions.
The program takes shape in the iconic locations of the city — Palazzo Ducale, Conservatorio Santa Maria della Misericordia, Biblioteca Isidoro Chirulli — and transforms them into traversable spaces, inhabited by experiences that connect art, fashion, music, literature, and research.
Opening the journey on April 30 is the presence of Regina Schrecker, a leading figure on the international scene, who will present “In Praise of Sustainable Beauty” in the noble halls of Palazzo Ducale. A narrative through images and creations that traverse epochs and imaginations: garments, costumes, and objects inspired by Dante, Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Arnaldo Pomodoro, and up to the most recent experiments related to artificial intelligence. A living archive capable of reflecting the continuity between tradition and innovation.
Literature plays a role in the program as a space for reflection and storytelling. Presentations guide the audience through paths that touch on biographies, contemporary anxieties, and collective memories: from the last hours of Edith Piaf recounted by Teresa Caricola, to the inner landscapes and paths of medieval pilgrimage evoked by Marino Pagano and Angelo Palmieri, to the writing of Rossella Dentuto, which moves between identity and transformation. The literary presentations will be led by Cinzia Cofano, a teacher, cultural operator, and writer who won the “Adriatic Prize. A Sea that Unites” in 2024, and curator of the cultural column “Librinstreaming”, in collaboration with Tony Vinci, who will cover all scheduled events with the cameras of Valleditrialivechannel.
Music permeates the entire project with a widespread presence. The piano of Maestro Paolo Palazzo and the voice of Manuel Amati in “Solfeggi Notturni” present the music of Aprile and Perla, among the most significant composers from Martina Franca: pieces created for singing education are here reinterpreted in a non-textual format. Almost entirely in modern world premiere, the program encourages the rediscovery and valorization of the historical and musical heritage of the territory, while the sounds of Simon Armenise and the performances of Luna Dragonieri with the project TuaSorellaMinore create sound environments where electronic music and video art engage in an immersive dialogue.
Alongside the artistic appointments, the program opens spaces for in-depth study and research. Meetings dedicated to the relationship between art, science, and spirituality, along with reflections on the persistences of the magical in popular Apulian culture, bring a dimension of knowledge that is deeply rooted in the territory. This includes the participation of the Ethnographic Museum "Alfredo Majorano," a commendable civic institution in the Ionian territory, established in 2003 to preserve and enhance the demological collection dedicated to the famous Taranto scholar. The specimens displayed at the Museum articulate a precise narrative around magical-religious rituals and popular traditions of the territory dating back at least to the 18th century. Maria Grazia Carriero’s research project shapes into an interdisciplinary investigation that utilizes the codes of contemporary art to explore and document the living folk beliefs in the Apulian territory. Through an exploration lasting about two years, the artist adopted dialogue as the primary investigative tool, collecting extensive video and photographic documentation in the streets and homes of numerous municipalities across the provinces of Taranto, Bari, Brindisi, Lecce, and Foggia.
The focus of the research is the entity known as laùru (or with local variants such as jurj’, avurie, scarcagnulu, or scazzamurrieddhu), an ambivalent "little spirit" that inhabits the collective memory of communities on the brink of extinction. The investigation goes beyond mere ethnographic collection, transforming testimonies into works of art, installations, and videos (such as the works “Darkness” and “Words to the South”), where the documentary and "rough" character of the footage aims to convey the freshness and pathos of daily encounters.

Exhibitions, displays, and cultural walks complete the journey, offering further opportunities for exploration. The training in the fashion sector with the MITA Fashion Academy presents, in the evocative spaces of Palazzo Ducale in Martina Franca, an exhibition dedicated to the contemporary reinterpretation of Bisset's Carmen. The setup proposes a selection of outfits created by the Academy’s students, who reimagine the opera's imagery in a modern key, merging theatrical aesthetics with current sensibilities. The haute couture tailoring dimension comes to the fore, expressed through refined craftsmanship, research on materials, and attention to detail, giving life to creations that engage in dialogue between tradition and innovation. The exhibition of traditional musical instruments and guided itineraries contribute to building a widespread narrative capable of involving diverse audiences.
The project is realized with the economic sponsorship of the Municipality of Martina Franca and the moral sponsorship of the Region of Puglia and the Province of Taranto. It is conceived by the Caracciolo De Sangro Foundation, Aps Federico II, Aps Liberuomo, and Vallisa.
The initiative “Evening came and morning followed” thus becomes a time to inhabit. Martina Franca welcomes this movement and reflects it through its spaces, its layers, and its openings. A narrative that develops day by day, allowing connections, encounters, and new perspectives to emerge.