Una Boccata d'Arte

Una Boccata d'Arte arrives in Ischitella

For the first time, the village of Ischitella, perched on the hills of the Gargano in the province of Foggia, is one of the twenty protagonists of Una Boccata d'Arte, the major contemporary art project promoted by the Fondazione Elpis. Every year, the initiative selects twenty small Italian villages, one for each region, and invites as many artists to create a site-specific work designed for that location. In 2026, Ischitella represents Puglia, bringing contemporary art into its stone alleys and views over Lake Varano.

«In questo frangente» by Enrico Malatesta

The star of the Ischitella edition is artist and percussionist Enrico Malatesta, with the work titled «In questo frangente», curated by VOGA Art Project (Flavia Tritto and Nicola Guastamacchia) in collaboration with Threes Productions. The work stems from listening to the territory: a sound map that invites visitors to get lost and explore the space through contact and attention to sound. Environmental noises and landscape traces are translated into visual and tactile signs on a brass plate, inviting viewers to slow down and perceive the village with their ears and hands, as well as their eyes.

The Fondazione Elpis project

Una Boccata d'Arte was born in 2020 from an idea by Marina Nissim, president of the Fondazione Elpis, together with Maurizio Rigillo of Galleria Continua and in collaboration with Threes. Over seven editions, the project has involved more than 140 villages with as many artistic interventions, progressively transforming from a temporary event into a permanent cultural network that places artistic research, peripheral territories, and community relations on the same level. The seventh edition, which includes Ischitella, takes place from June 20 to October 4, 2026, with simultaneous inaugurations on Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21, in the twenty selected villages.

Public program and workshops

The installation in Ischitella was preceded by a public program titled «Nel farsi dell'ascolto: mappe instabili di Ischitella», a series of participatory workshops led by Enrico Malatesta together with Chiara Pavolucci. The meetings invited students and citizens to explore the territory in a new way, through listening, walking, and building sensory maps. The workshops were held on May 27 and 28, 2026, at the «Cigno Nero» Civic Museum, with an initial session dedicated to students from the «Pietro Giannone» Comprehensive Institute.

Ischitella and the Gargano

A municipality within the Gargano National Park, Ischitella overlooks Lake Varano and preserves a historic center of narrow alleys, arches, and stone houses. Linked to the memory of the poet Pietro Giannone and the farming and pastoral traditions of the promontory, the town offers Una Boccata d'Arte an authentic setting, where contemporary work dialogues with ancient architecture and the landscape of the Alto Tavoliere in Puglia.

When and how to visit

The work «In questo frangente» can be visited in the public spaces of Ischitella's historic center from June 20 to October 4, 2026. Access is free and open, allowing visitors to discover the village at a slow pace, following the path designed by the artist through sounds, signs, and walking.