Press — Mothers of Marmo Platano
Media resources, exhibition materials, and high-resolution assets for Mothers of Marmo Platano, a long-form documentary project exploring maternal identity and cultural transformation in Basilicata, Southern Italy.
About the Project
Mothers of Marmo Platano documents the lives of eleven women across seven municipalities in the Marmo Platano mountain region of Basilicata. Through intimate audio interviews and bedroom portraits, the project explores how motherhood, tradition, and identity are shaped by place and time.
The bedroom serves as both setting and metaphor—a sacred space where memory, ritual, and family history converge. Each mother’s story reflects broader patterns of demographic decline, migration, and cultural continuity in rural Southern Italy.
The project spans multiple generations, from women born in the 1930s who witnessed wartime hardship and agrarian life, to those born in the 1980s navigating contemporary motherhood while maintaining ancestral traditions.
Current Exhibition
Mothers of Marmo Platano
OpenSpace APT, Palazzo dell’Annunziata, Matera
10 November 2025 – 10 December 2025
Past Exhibitions
Mothers of Marmo Platano
Galleria Civica di Baragiano
16 April 2025 – 16 May 2025
Mothers of Marmo Platano
Biblioteca Nazionale di Potenza
27 February 2025 – 27 March 2025
Mothers of Marmo Platano
Istituto Italiano di Cultura Stuttgart
27 September 2024 – 27 October 2024
Project Details
Format: Audio interviews + photographic portraits
Duration: 2023–ongoing
Locations: Baragiano, Ruoti, Bella, Balvano, Muro Lucano, Castelgrande, Pescopagano (Basilicata, Italy)
Participants: 11 mothers, born 1934–1980
Languages: Italian (audio), English/Italian (exhibition materials)
Exhibition formats: Audio installations, large-format prints, web platform
Press Materials
Press Kit (PDF)
Project overview, curatorial statement, artist bio, exhibition history
[DOWNLOAD PRESS KIT]
Press Release (PDF)
Current exhibition information
[DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE]
Project Statement (PDF)
Extended curatorial text
[DOWNLOAD PROJECT STATEMENT]
Credits (PDF)
Complete project credits and acknowledgments
[DOWNLOAD CREDITS]
High-Resolution Assets
HD images available for editorial use with proper attribution.
Portrait Gallery
11 environmental portraits (bedroom interiors with mothers)
Detail Images
Close-up details of objects, textiles, personal items
Installation Shots
Exhibition views from Matera, Stuttgart, Baragiano
Exhibition Graphics
Poster, exhibition signage, promotional materials
Images are delivered via WeTransfer or similar file transfer service upon request.
Video & Multimedia
Selection of video materials documenting the project and its public dimension.
Available Content:
– Exhibition walkthroughs and room overviews
– Public talks and panel discussions
– Encounters with visitors and community members
– Educational sessions and school visits
Video embeds (YouTube/Vimeo) can be added here for direct viewing, or links can be provided for press and institutional partners.
Public Programmes & Community Engagement
Mothers of Marmo Platano is also a space of encounter and dialogue with local communities.
Selected activities include:
– Workshops and encounters with local schools in the Marmo Platano area
– Public talks with scholars, administrators, and cultural practitioners
– Guided visits and conversations with residents, migrants, and returning locals
– Collective listening sessions and community reflections within the exhibition
Image selections from these public programmes can be provided for institutions interested in the social and educational dimension of the project.
Credits (Condensed)
Project Direction: Francesco Carvelli
Research Consultants: Luigi Caramiello (sociology), Alberto Baldi (anthropology), Felice Faraone (local history)
Curatorial Development: Eleni Pisano
Spatial Design: Francesco Vertucci
Production Support: Catia Ricci, Nicoletta Giordano
Institutional Partners (selected):
Agenzia di Promozione Territoriale della Basilicata; Comuni di Baragiano, Ruoti, Bella, Balvano, Muro Lucano, Castelgrande, Pescopagano; Istituto Italiano di Cultura Stuttgart; Polo Bibliotecario di Potenza
Press Contact
General Inquiries
hello@francescocarvelli.com
Interview Requests
Available in English and Italian
Image Licensing
All images © Francesco Carvelli
Editorial use permitted with attribution: “© Francesco Carvelli, Mothers of Marmo Platano”.
Commercial use requires prior written permission.
Mothers of Marmo Platano
Open Space APT, Matera (Italy)
10 Nov – 10 Dec 2025
Occasional updates on exhibitions, fieldwork, and new publications. No noise, just the essentials.
Have a cultural project, archive, or territory to explore? Get in touch or book a short call to discuss a possible collaboration.
Francesco Carvelli
Creative direction, visual anthropology & cultural strategy