Our 2021 residents Cecilie and Tobias Kongstad documented the work of artists involved in Artinvita2021, their interaction with communities and included Abruzzo as an element of inspiration in their creative journey across Italy’s regions.
by Cecilie and Tobias Kongstad
We arrived on an incredibly hot Sunday in June where Nicola greeted us on Dentro La Terra’s terrace with a warm smile and a cup of coffee – we instantly knew this was going to be good.
Dentro La Terra itself was already packed with artists, so we got the chance to stay at the family farm. What a setting it was - olive groves as far as you can see and fresh homegrown plums and figs daily. We also got the chance to taste Nicola’s father’s wine made in his small cantina at the property, all natural and without added sulphites of course.
Our stay was planned to coincide with Abruzzo’s international art festival, Artinvita, and our mission was to experience and document as much as possible from the festival, the other residents’ work and what the area has to offer in general.
Before Artinvita kicked off we got the chance to meet Simon Rouby, an incredibly inspiring individual and artist. He was working on an installation of his ongoing project ‘Pangea’ for the festival. His art uses a technique where several pictures are taken of an object from different angles which is then inserted into a computer and then transformed into 3D models with help from an algorithm. The models can then be viewed on a monitor in three dimensions.
In Simon’s case the objects of choice are often landscapes which he ‘scans’ (by taking numerous pictures of the same spot) using a drone to gain access to difficult spots and angles. He has done it in several unique places already such as Nepal and near the South Pole. The end result can then be a 3D printed model, a 2D printed model or an interactive exhibition using various projectors.
The method is called photogrammetry and is actually also used by geometrists to map and monitor landscapes and their natural movements and erosions. We even got to join Simon for an expedition to Ortona where he scanned ruins of an old castle.
Simon’s installation for Artinvita was outdoor, using projector screens to convey his art onto the medieval buildings around the Auditorium Santa Maria da Piedi.
We attended several shows on Artinvita’s schedule and another one that really stands out was a foraging tour for kids in the Majella mountains.
We followed Alessandro Di Tizio in an attempt to forage wild herbs in the Majella National Park while educating local youth on food and nature. He works with the world’s best restaurant, Mirazur, on educating chefs on wild ingredients and the history of them and also educates the restaurants’ foragers on what, how and when to pick different herbs. It is safe to say that we and the kids got to learn from the best.
We found oregano, wild garlic, elderflower, fig leaves, a yellow flower-species with a really strong earthy curry-like scent and taste, a rosemary-like herb that had similarities in taste but with very spicy and peppery notes not to mention red and orange juniper berries. After the foraging we got to enjoy several dishes made with all the aforementioned ingredients made in collaboration with Ristorante Villa Maiella (also decorated with a Michelin star).
Then came a chance for us to work on our artistry. Cecilie is an illustrator and works mostly digitally, but when Marielena ‘Mae’ Carulli contacted us with a unique opportunity to make a permanent mark in Arielli we were in. We were invited to take part in a street art event to paint a mural on a city wall. The town mayor held a speech about the importance of art and set the tone for the project.
We were a group of artists gathered by two amazing women with a vision: the theme of the project was “the art of hugging”.
About the project Marielena ‘Mae’ Carulli says: “The hug factory is a project of social and artistic value, born from the collaboration of two women, with a common passion: art. It wants to be a way to exercise a period as hard as a pandemic.”
What’s even more amazing is that you can now experience the amazing street art pieces right below Dentro La Terra.
We ended the art festival with a get-together that turned into a party for all the artists and organizers of Artinvita Festival. Nicola hosted all of us at Dentro La Terra with tasty bubbles, aperitivos and later pizza from Giangi’s - voted Italy’s 26th best pizza. We can confirm it is incredible!
So not only have we been fortunate enough to meet a lot of incredible and inspiring people, Dentro La Terra is surrounded by amazing nature - mountains and beautiful small villages in one direction and the beach in the other. The perfect balance of time, space and serene atmospheres.
When reflecting on the time we spent with Dentro La Terra it feels almost as if we had a year’s worth of experiences while still being able to recharge. After the stay we felt high on inspiration and the will to do new things with our art and in life. That was our goal from the start and we succeeded – even more so than we thought would be possible.
Thank you Nicola and Dentro La Terra, we are deeply grateful for the experience.