The Italian Cultural Institute of Hamburg is (virtually) on the move again. After ‘Tesori di mare’ (Treasures of the Sea), which in 2020 invited visitors to discover the most picturesque villages on the Italian coast, and after ‘Andar per castelli’ (Travelling Around Castles) and #piazzadante, the Institute is looking to the sea and setting sail for the islands scattered about the seas of the Peninsula: better or less well-known archipelagos, islands of volcanic or calcareous origin, isolated islands, islands that are very close or very far from the coast, islands that are coloured or very white, islands that are barren or lush with Mediterranean scrub, and which, finally, are the setting of the summers of Italians and international travellers alike.
Part of a broader project dedicated to the theme of travel and Italian landscape and cultural heritage, ‘Andar per isole’ (Island-hopping) makes use of geolocation tools that accompany the visitor on a ‘geographical’ survey using the openstreetmap platform: keen travellers can draw inspiration from it to build a personal travel itinerary. The journey is accompanied by a gallery of high quality images, thanks to the collaboration of photographers and travellers, whom the Institute has actively sought out through social networks, experimenting with a successful digital communication strategy.
The virtual voyage over Italian waters will end in December with the opening of the ‘Archipelago’ exhibition host in the Institute’s gallery, curated by architect Corinna Del Bianco. A collection of images and stories will let the visitors discover four archipelagos – the Tuscan Archipelago, the Aeolian Islands, the Aegadian and the Pelagie Islands -, telling a story of profound transformation marked by the effects of tourism and displacement, by mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion and by the ever-changing relationship between the island and the mainland.
The first stage of the virtual journey is dedicated to the island of Pantelleria. The route is available on umap.openstreetmap.fr
It will be possible to follow the project, from 9 July 2021, every week, on the Institute’s website and social channels.
For more information, go to iicamburgo.esteri.it
