SCIENTIFIC COORDINATION AND CURATION

Stefania Rössl
University of Bologna, Department of Architecture

Samuele Vincenti
National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Lecce

COMITATO SCIENTIFICO

Maria Carmela Basile
National Research Council of Italy (CNR)

Giuseppe Gigli
University of Salento

Guido Guidi
Photographer

Fabio Matano
National Research Council of Italy (CNR)

Elena Mucelli
University of Bologna

Valentina Orioli
University of Bologna

Annalisa Trentin
University of Bologna

Samuele Vincenti
National Research Council of Italy (CNR)

As part of the activities of the Demo Center, the Lecce hub of the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) Gateway, a photographic campaign has been launched focusing on coastal erosion, one of the most evident and significant phenomena linked to the effects of climate change that are reshaping the Mediterranean landscape and the Italian coastline.
Mapping Italian Coast arises from the intersection of scientific research, territorial observation and artistic practice, with the aim of gradually building a visual mapping of coastal transformations. The initial survey involved five photographers working at different points along the Italian coastline, asked to document not only the physical evolution of the landscape but also the relationship between environment, human presence and the memory of places.
However, this first phase represents only the beginning of a broader process. The project’s ambition is to establish a long-term observatory on the transformation of the Italian coastline through new open calls, artistic residencies, collaborations with photographers and researchers, the acquisition of archives and the development of interdisciplinary projects.
The goal is to create a dynamic and constantly evolving archive capable of interweaving scientific research, documentary photography and collective memory, providing scholars, citizens and visitors with an open tool for reading the contemporary landscape.
The collected images reveal fragile coastlines, spaces in constant transformation and increasingly visible signs of the impact of climate change on ecosystems and on the communities that inhabit the sea. At the same time, the project seeks to observe how ways of living the coast are changing — habits, forms of tourism and relationships between humans and the environment.
Through photography, maps and the documents gathered here, Mapping Italian Coast aims to make perceptible phenomena that are often slow and difficult to observe in their complexity, contributing to a greater public awareness of biodiversity, the climate crisis and the transformation of coastal territories.
The project is curated and coordinated by Stefania Rössl, University of Bologna – Department of Architecture, and Samuele Vincenti, National Research Council – Lecce.