PASSAGGI BLU

PASSAGGI BLU. Ponte della masseria, Gabbioni del canale, Ponticello dello scalo.

2013, Irsina, Irsina station.

The artistic intervention aligns with the objectives of the Paesaggi in movimento territorial project and the event held in September 2014, which included a day of exploration through the Lucanian countryside by train and on foot, centered on the theme of landscape. The railway follows the terrain’s contours, with the small train appearing and disappearing among the hills.

The pace is slow, allowing one to enjoy the landscape and become part of it, both as actor and spectator. Following this theme, the artist chose to highlight in ultramarine blue some of the rare structural elements that support the tracks—a bridge, a stone embankment, and a small viaduct—serving as markers of the railway’s passage, visible from the countryside. At these sites, pairs of hay bales wrapped in the same ultramarine blue were placed in the fields, acting as signals visible from inside the train.

The event on September 22, 2013, aimed to raise awareness and engage residents, visitors, and local authorities with the unique landscape of this region and its potential for enhancement, including as a tourist destination. The day was organized as follows: gathering in the morning at Gravina station.

A train journey on historic carriages provided by FAL took participants from Gravina to Irsina, allowing them to enjoy the surrounding landscape highlighted by the Passaggi blu Land Art installations. The event included a tour of Irsina’s historic center and a food and wine tasting, followed by a walk along countryside paths to the station. At sunset, the theatrical performance Il sindaco contadino. L’utopia di Rocco Scotellaro e le lotte contadine, written and performed by Ulderico Pesce, was staged.