E Fu sera e fu mattina

"Evening Came and Morning Followed"
A Journey through Art, Fashion, Music, and Thought in Martina Franca

Some projects develop like maps, others like stories. "Evening Came and Morning Followed" belongs to the second dimension: a cultural pathway that unfolds in time and space, guiding Martina Franca from April 30 to June 6, 2026, on a journey made of intertwined languages and shared visions.
The program takes shape in the symbolic places of the city — Palazzo Ducale, Conservatorio Santa Maria della Misericordia, Biblioteca Isidoro Chirulli — transforming them into traversable spaces inhabited by experiences that connect art, fashion, music, literature, and research.
Opening the pathway on April 30 is the presence of Regina Schrecker, a leading figure in the international scene, who presents "Eulogy to Sustainable Beauty" in the noble halls of the Palazzo Ducale. This narrative for images and creations spans eras and imaginations: garments, costumes, and objects inspired by Dante, Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Arnaldo Pomodoro, up to the most recent experiments related to artificial intelligence. It serves as a living archive, capable of restoring continuity between tradition and innovation.
Literature is woven into the program as a space for reflection and storytelling. Presentations guide the public through pathways touching on biographies, contemporary anxieties, and collective memories: from the last hours of Edith Piaf recounted by Teresa Caricola to the inner landscapes and the paths of medieval pilgrimage evoked by Marino Pagano and Angelo Palmieri, up to the writings of Rossella Dentuto, which navigate between identity and transformation. The literary presentations will be led by Cinzia Cofano, an educator, cultural operator, and writer who won the "Adriatic Award. A Sea that Unites" in 2024 and is the curator of the cultural column "Librinstreaming," in collaboration with Tony Vinci, who will cover all the 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 and here proposed in a non-philological reinterpretation. Almost entirely having their modern premieres, the program invites rediscovery and enhancement of the historical-musical heritage of the area, while the sounds of Simon Armenise and the performances of Luna Dragonieri with the TuaSorellaMinore project create sound environments where electronics and video art interact immersively.
In addition to artistic appointments, the program opens spaces for in-depth study and research. Meetings dedicated to the relationship between art, science, and spirituality, alongside reflections on the persistence of magic in popular Apulian culture, bring back to the forefront a dimension of knowledge rooted in the territory. This includes the participation of the "Alfredo Majorano" Ethnographic Museum, a distinguished civic institution from the Ionian territory, established in 2003 to preserve and enhance the demological collection dedicated to the famous Taranto scholar. The exhibits at the museum articulate a precise narrative around magical-religious rituals and popular traditions of the area dating back to at least the 18th century. The project, led by Maria Grazia Carriero, is configured as an interdisciplinary investigation using contemporary art codes to explore and document the popular beliefs still alive in the Apulian territory. Through a two-year exploration, the artist has adopted dialogue as a primary tool of inquiry, gathering extensive video and photographic documentation in the streets and homes of many municipalities in the provinces of Taranto, Bari, Brindisi, Lecce, and Foggia.
The core of the research is the entity known as laùru (or local variants such as jurj’, avurie, scarcagnulu, or scazzamurrieddhu), an ambivalent "little spirit" that resides in the collective memory of communities that are in danger of extinction. The investigation does not limit itself to mere ethnographic collection but transforms testimonies into artworks, installations, and videos (like the works Darkness and Words to the South), where the documentary and "rough" character of the recordings aims to convey the freshness and pathos of everyday encounters.

Exhibitions, displays, and cultural walks complete the journey, offering additional opportunities for engagement. Fashion training with the MITA Fashion Academy Foundation presents, in the evocative spaces of the Palazzo Ducale in Martina Franca, an exhibition dedicated to the contemporary reinterpretation of Bisset's Carmen. The setup showcases a selection of outfits created by the academy's students, which modernize the imagery of the opera, blending theatrical aesthetics with current sensitivities. The haute couture's sartorial dimension is brought to life through refined craftsmanship, material exploration, and attention to detail, creating pieces that dialogue between tradition and innovation. The exhibition of traditional musical instruments and guided tours help to build a widespread narrative, capable of engaging diverse audiences.
The project is realized with the economic sponsorship of the Municipality of Martina Franca and the moral sponsorship of the Region of Apulia and the Province of Taranto and 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 gives it back through its spaces, its layers, and its openings. A narrative that develops day by day, allowing connections, encounters, and new perspectives to emerge.