FASE – South-East Visual Arts Festival
Contemporary photography and open-air visual arts in Otranto
About FASE Festival
A widespread festival in Italy's easternmost city
FASE – South-East Visual Arts Festival is an event dedicated to contemporary photography and visual arts that enlivens Otranto, in the province of Lecce, in the heart of the Salento region of Puglia. Born in 2024 through the initiative of the social promotion association Fuori Fase APS, the festival has chosen a formula as simple as it is powerful: taking images out of museums and scattering them across urban spaces, from the Aragonese Castle Moat to the Lungomare degli Eroi, the Lungomare Terra d'Otranto, and the small square of the seaside hamlet of Porto Badisco. The result is an open-air gallery that you can explore on foot, free of charge, with the Apulian sea as your backdrop.
Photography as a window onto the present
Under the artistic direction of Raffaele Vertaldi, FASE does not just exhibit images: it uses them as a starting point to spark dialogue. Each edition revolves around a theme that weaves visual research with major contemporary issues—identity, the Mediterranean, change, rights—accompanying the exhibitions with a packed schedule of talks, meetings with authors, screenings, and visual storytelling workshops. The festival provides a platform for both established photographers and emerging young artists, with a distinctly international vocation.
A project for the local area
FASE is an entirely free event, funded by the Municipality of Otranto and held under the patronage of the Puglia Region. The decision to set up the exhibitions in public spaces—the castle moat, the seafronts, bars, and village squares—reflects the desire to make art accessible to everyone while simultaneously showcasing the historical and landscape heritage of Otranto and its coastline. For residents and visitors alike, the festival is an opportunity to discover auteur photography while experiencing the city during one of the most beautiful seasons of the year.
Otranto, capital of the Adriatic Salento
The setting for the event is one of Puglia's most beloved destinations: Otranto, with its cathedral featuring a famous mosaic floor, its walled historic center, and the Aragonese castle overlooking the harbor. The combination of the exhibited works and the beauty of the locations makes FASE an experience where art and landscape enhance one another, offering one of the most original summer cultural itineraries in the Italian South-East.
FASE Festival — edition 2026
The third edition of FASE – South-East Visual Arts Festival takes place in Otranto and the hamlet of Porto Badisco from June 19 to July 12, 2026, with the theme "Bridges Over Troubled Waters", a manifesto dedicated to the bridges that connect communities, generations, and dimensions of human experience. The festival, which is free and spread across the city's public spaces, is funded by the Municipality of Otranto and held under the patronage of the Puglia Region, with artistic direction by Raffaele Vertaldi.
Throughout the duration of the event, contemporary photography exhibitions by Alessia Rollo, Angelo Leonardo, Matteo Montenero, and Nicolò Nastasia (Aragonese Castle Moat), Giulia Mangione and Luca Marianaccio (seafronts), and Max Cavallari (Porto Badisco) will be on display. The opening weekend, from June 19 to 21, will feature the inauguration, talks, screenings, guided tours, and a visual storytelling workshop.
Programme FASE Festival 2026
Friday, June 19
- 20:00 — Inauguration at the Aragonese Castle with Otranto Mayor Francesco Bruni, Tourism Councilor Cristina De Benedetto, the organizers of Fuori Fase APS, and the artists of this edition.
- 21:00 — Talk "Stormy Mediterranean" with Max Cavallari and AntillaFürst (WeWorld), a dialogue on human dignity and the value of photojournalism in crisis contexts; followed by the screening of "Acquaintance" by Max Cavallari and the reportage "Everyday in Gaza".
Saturday, June 20
- 10:00 — Guided tour of the exhibitions starting from the Aragonese Castle Moat, led by the artistic director together with the artists and organizers.
- 19:00 — Palazzo de Mori Terrace: talk "Beyond the Visible" with Angelo Leonardo, Giulia Mangione, and Luca Marianaccio.
Sunday, June 21
- 10:00–18:00 — Community Library Le Fabbriche: intensive workshop on territorial visual storytelling led by photographer Gabriele Albergo (aka Salento Death Valley).
- 18:30 — Talk "Suspended Roots and Traces of the Future" at the Community Library Le Fabbriche.
Exhibitions (June 19 – July 12)
Aragonese Castle Moat
- Alessia Rollo — Altera Italia
- Angelo Leonardo — Le Monde ou Rien
- Matteo Montenero and Nicolò Nastasia — Loro non tornarono più a terra
Lungomare degli Eroi and Lungomare Terra d'Otranto
- Giulia Mangione — The Fall
- Luca Marianaccio — LORO
Porto Badisco (small square and Bar da Carlo)
- Max Cavallari — Acquaintance
The full program and updates are published on the official website fa-se.it.
Highlights FASE Festival 2026
Prices FASE Festival 2026
Practical information — FASE Festival
Where
The exhibitions are spread throughout Otranto (LE), in Puglia: Aragonese Castle Moat, Lungomare degli Eroi, and Lungomare Terra d'Otranto, as well as the small square in Porto Badisco. The exhibitions are outdoors and freely accessible.
Admission
Access to exhibitions, talks, and guided tours is completely free. Workshops may require registration: please check the official website for details and availability.
How to get there
Otranto can be reached by car via the SS16 and the Maglie–Otranto highway; by train via the Ferrovie del Sud Est (Otranto station) with connections from Lecce, and in summer via seasonal buses and shuttle services. Porto Badisco is located a few kilometers south along the coastal road.
Information
Updated program, locations, and times are available on the official website fa-se.it and on the festival's social media channels (@fase_festival). Organized by Fuori Fase APS.
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Where does it take place — FASE Festival
Fossato del Castello Aragonese