Author Topic: Italy 2024  (Read 3030 times)

Indofunk

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Italy 2024
« on: August 23, 2024, 05:17:38 PM »
As some of you may know, I've had a photography exhibition in Trapani, Sicily for about a year. Last month I went to Trapani to play for my own closing party. While I was in Italy, I also went to Bologna because due to random circumstance, I know a lot of musicians there (and now after visiting again and doing a lot of playing, I know many more 😂). I went to both places armed with a Minox 35EL which I purchased in Berlin last year, loaded up with Fuji 64T II which I cross processed in C41.


A Roman-built bridge in Rimini, which is the hometown of one of my favorite film directors, Federico Fellini. There's a Fellini museum there that was very enlightening, and featured a ton of his sketches of his own dreams!


A church in Bologna


Religious festival/parade in Trapani


Beach outside of Trapani (the "real people" beach, not the tourist beaches in Trapani proper 😊)


A view from a medieval town in Sicily, Salemi. There was a pasta festival there featuring busiate, the traditional pasta shape of the region.


There are a lot of abandoned houses in Sicily (also in northern Italy, but not quite as many as in Sicily). I was told this was partly because of industrialization (a lot of these structures used to house agricultural workers who were put out of business by automated machinery) and partly because of Mafia money laundering (start to build a house, then abruptly stop when you've laundered all the money you need to).


Sunset over the salt flats in Trapani


This is a tourist beach in Trapani. Without tourists 😂


Another sunset in Trapani, at this amazing rooftop bar that was cheap as well as generous with the snacks that they served with their drinks. The complimentary bruschetta was amazing!


A view from the top of Erice, the mountain closest to Trapani.

Indofunk

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2024, 05:22:43 PM »
And then of course, my signature alley shots 😊


Bologna


Bologna has these cool covered sidewalks. The rest of Italy does as well, but Bologna has more than any other city I've seen. The story I was told was that these buildings were originally built without toilets. Then later people added bathrooms with toilets, but they built them out over the street, so the overhangs were created out of necessity. Whatever the story, they offer shade and also just a cool look to the sidewalks.
 

Bologna


More covered sidewalks 😛


Bologna


Erice

Francois

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2024, 03:39:02 PM »
I must admit that Italy is just so scenic.
While in Bologna, I hope you had a chance to visit their university as it's the oldest university that saw continuous operation in all of the country.
Founded in 1088 and still running strong.
The residents also have the easiest accent to understand for non-Italian speakers...
Francois

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Indofunk

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2024, 05:52:47 PM »
The residents also have the easiest accent to understand for non-Italian speakers...

Interesting you say that, because I'm told that the region (Romagna specifically) has the easiest accent for French speakers to understand 😁

I speak Spanish, so in general northern Italian accents/dialects are easier for me to understand than southern. Also, more people in the north speak English. What I'm saying is that if I go back to Sicily, I'm going to need to learn Italian 😂
« Last Edit: August 25, 2024, 02:47:03 PM by Indofunk »

Francois

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2024, 09:10:15 PM »
You really have to. My barber was Sicilian and even though he was born here, he had a strong accent in French and English. And when he talked to the other guys in Italian, I had a hard time making-out the words!

There's a big contingent of Italians from the south living in Montreal. There's little Italy and Saint-Leonard where they all live.
There's even a church where in one of the frescoes you can see Mussolini riding horseback back in biblical times 😂

When there's the Formula-1 zoo that comes into town, there's a big parade of the finest Italian cars made on one of the streets. I should borrow my old mechanic's Vespa 500 and go bust that Ferrari party 😁
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

Indofunk

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2024, 06:29:58 PM »
Can I ask you something?
How the heck did you land an exhibition in Italy?
I'm really curious

As with everything in the arts, it's about 1. who you know and 2. right place/right time.

A very close friend of mine, also a trombone player in my all-brass Nirvana cover band, is married to a Sicilian woman from Trapani. This woman also happens to be a gallery curator/manager/etc in NYC. One of her first jobs growing up in Trapani was curating this tiny gallery in what used to be a church. Last year this gallery happened to be hosting a photo exhibition about "NYC nights" and wanted another artist with that theme. So my Sicilian friend recommended me. End of story 😁

Francois

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2024, 08:47:11 PM »
Well... in a sense that is a story.
And no Cosa Nostra papers or haircuts were involved 😉

BTW, in a previous life I used to play the trombone... badly (or was it the rest of the band that was bad? I'll never know) I might add but I did play it just well enough to recognize the tune. I still have my mouthpiece in a cupboard.
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

Indofunk

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2024, 12:15:26 AM »
Well... in a sense that is a story.
And no Cosa Nostra papers or haircuts were involved 😉

BTW, in a previous life I used to play the trombone... badly (or was it the rest of the band that was bad? I'll never know) I might add but I did play it just well enough to recognize the tune. I still have my mouthpiece in a cupboard.

I literally just recorded trombone on a recording session this morning 😁 My trombone playing isn't nearly as strong as my trumpet or tuba playing, but if a client wants trumpet and trombone on a track and isn't willing to pay extra for a legit trombone player, they'll take what they get 😂

Indofunk

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2024, 12:17:48 AM »
And no Cosa Nostra papers or haircuts were involved 😉

Also, I highly recommend the film "Shooting The Mafia" which is about a female photographer who was somehow allowed into the inner sanctums of the mafia ... so it is 100% relevant to this photo board, but also after watching it I have never made any mafia jokes or references ever again. It is SERIOUS stuff and in no way a joking matter 😦

Francois

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2024, 04:15:59 PM »
But what's nice about them is that if you don't get involved in their business and they appreciate you, they will not bother you.
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

Bryan

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2024, 05:20:55 PM »
Can I ask you something?
How the heck did you land an exhibition in Italy?
I'm really curious
A very close friend of mine, also a trombone player in my all-brass Nirvana cover band, is married to a Sicilian woman from Trapani.

Great essay Satish!  My wife's family is from Sicily, we need to plan a trip there one of these days.  She had a great uncle known as Banana Joe.  As far as we know he wasn't involved in the mob, just sold produce. 

I drove through Aberdeen, Washington last week, the home town of Nirvana.  I noticed the sign as you enter town says "Welcome to Aberdeen, Come as you are".
https://www.google.com/maps/@46.9807985,-123.7818503,3a,75y,276.7h,89.21t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sS8bOC0L5gLo1faRatRGHGQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D0.7900000000000063%26panoid%3DS8bOC0L5gLo1faRatRGHGQ%26yaw%3D276.7!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDgyMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Francois

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2024, 09:39:15 PM »
At least they embraced the legacy.
In my city, you're simply not welcome anymore 😁
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

Bryan

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2024, 10:10:20 PM »
At least they embraced the legacy.
In my city, you're simply not welcome anymore 😁
That's about all that town has to embrace anymore.

Indofunk

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2024, 11:09:38 PM »
Yeah, I've seen that sign! (In pictures ... I haven't been to Aberdeen myself) Apparently there's also a park bench that everyone has graffiti'd with tributes to Nirvana & Kurt.

edit: based on the filename, maybe that bench is in Seattle... 🤔

Bryan

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #14 on: August 29, 2024, 12:37:43 AM »
Yeah, I've seen that sign! (In pictures ... I haven't been to Aberdeen myself) Apparently there's also a park bench that everyone has graffiti'd with tributes to Nirvana & Kurt.

edit: based on the filename, maybe that bench is in Seattle... 🤔
That bench is in Seattle in a park across the street from the house he shot himself in.

The only reason to visit Aberdeen is to pass through it on your way to Ocean Shores.  There used to be a part of the museum dedicated to him but it burned down.  https://www.npr.org/2018/06/13/619567294/fire-sweeps-through-museum-of-history-in-kurt-cobains-hometown-of-aberdeen

Francois

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #15 on: August 29, 2024, 04:06:26 PM »
Oh well...
That must make for a very quick tour of the place.
I can just imagine: here was the museum dedicated to Kurt Cobain. That'll be 5$, thank you. 🙄
Francois

Film is the vinyl record of photography.

irv_b

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Re: Italy 2024
« Reply #16 on: September 16, 2024, 05:00:27 PM »
A nice set of photographs Satish have you not got any of the exhibition itself?
This has whetted my appetite for our trip to Sicily early next month, I still haven't decided aparrt from the LC-A what other camera to take.