The Mercantile Museum in Bolzano is presenting a comprehensive exhibition featuring the work of Trentino photographer Flavio Faganello, whose powerful images continue to resonate twenty years after his death. The exhibition, titled "Flavio Faganello: Moving Photographs," displays more than 100 of his photographs documenting ecological and social changes in Trentino and South Tyrol that remain relevant today.
Faganello's photography captured the intimate connection between mountain landscapes and the lives of alpine farmers, preserving their cultural heritage and spiritual traditions. His lens followed ancient pathways marked by crosses, fences, votive chapels, and dry stone walls, documenting the laborious work, community life, and relationship between people and sacred places. Through his camera, he preserved rituals, customs, beliefs, and the hopes of pilgrims who traveled these mountain routes.
By repeatedly returning to the same locations and the same people over time, Faganello developed his characteristic ironic style that highlighted the contradictions of his era. His work critically examined the tourist invasion of alpine regions and growing environmental threats. In South Tyrol, Faganello became particularly known for his photographs featured in the book "The Heirs of Solitude: South Tyrolean Mountain Farmers - Life on the Edge," which documented the precarious existence of traditional mountain communities.
The exhibition runs from October 4 to 31 at the Mercantile Museum in Bolzano, located at Silbergasse 6/Lauben 39. It is organized by the Office for Film and Media in cooperation with the Trentino Provincial Monument Office and the Trento Film Festival, with additional collaboration from the Tridentine Diocesan Museum and TSM-STEP (School for Territory and Landscape Governance).
An extensive program of events accompanies the exhibition, including the online premiere of the film "Faganello meets Boom 70" on October 7, an excursion to the upper Vinschgau Valley on October 12, and a special event by the Bolzano Photo Forum on October 21. The exhibition opening will take place on Friday, October 3, 2025, at 5:30 PM at the Mercantile Museum.
During the opening ceremony, organizers will present an exhibition catalog containing all displayed photographs along with eight expert essays about Flavio Faganello and his photography. The catalog will be available for purchase at the venue. The exhibition is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, with free admission. Thirty-minute group tours for up to 15 people can be booked by emailing monika.ciardi@province.bz.it or calling 0471 412 915.
