Come Together at Cortona On The Move 2025
The 15th edition of Cortona On The Move kicked off with the opening days earlier at the end of July. The rich linup of events presents 23 exhibitions, showcasing the work of 76 international artists, together with guided tours with exhibition authors and curators and portfolio reviews, exclusive book signings, talks, and meet-the-artist sessions. The full program of the 2025 edition was presented by the festival’s Artsistic Director Paolo Woods during the opening conference, which also featured the award ceremony to Matilde Perrini, the winner of the third edition of the Vittoria Castagna Prize, awarded by Veronica Nicolardi, festival Director, alongside jury members Franco Bernelli, Linda Gobbi, Francesco Morace, and Nicola Tiezzi. The competition is aimed at young people under 30 interested in working in marketing and communication for cultural production. It is held in collaboration with Accademia di Belle Arti di Brescia SantaGiulia, Fondazione Fitzcarraldo, Bocconi University, Franklin University Switzerland, POLITECNICO DI MILANO School of Management, and Future Concept Lab.
The theme of the 2025 edition of the Festival is Come Together, understood as rupture and reconciliation, conflict and unity. As Artistic Director affirms in his introduction to the Festival: ” This year’s theme came to me on 4th November 2024, the day before the US elections. When I lerned the result, I realized that we live in an increasingly divided world where fault lines widen into open wounds and extremisms feed on polarization, where opposing sides do not speak but shout. I wondered whether the festival should be a mirror of this world or should it try to direct our gaze towards something much more complex to describe but also important to achieve: reconciliation. Thus, the theme of the 15th edition of COTM is Come Together, which explores why reconciliation is the only viable option, probing some of the many ways to achieve it – socially, politically and personally. Because reconciliation is not only with the other but formost with oneself.”
Among the highlights of the launching days, many events unfolded: COTM for Kids, a photography workshop for ages 6 and up, curated by La Casa sull’Albero Bookstore in Arezzo, as well as the roundtable Double Exposure: Photography and Science to Tell the Story of Climate Change featuring Stefano Mancuso, plant neurobiologist and Director of the International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology, in conversation with the photographers from Cronache D’Acqua – Immagini dal Sud Italia and Atlas of the New World. A double event was held at the Teatro Signorelli loggia: the premiere of the book Atlas of the New World, published by L’Artiere and the talk Inferno & Paradiso with Alfredo Jaar. Starting from Jaar’s exhibition, the conversation explored the ethical, emotional, and narrative implications of documentary photography. The programme continued with a talk with photographer Yael Martinez, followed by the book launch of Inferno & Paradiso (L’Artiere) with Alfredo Jaar and the publishers under the Teatro loggia. Finally, the winners of the new Cortona On The Move | BarTur Grant for documentary photography will be announced, also at Teatro Signorelli.
The Cortona On The Move festival 17.07.2025 – 02.11.2025, is the brainchild and product of the ONTHEMOVE Cultural Association and is produced under the patronage and contribution of Regione Toscana and the Comune di Cortona, the support of Intesa Sanpaolo and Gallerie d’Italia – main partner – with the contribution of Fondazione CR Firenze, the support of at – autolinee toscane – mobility partner, Médecins Sans Frontières – charity partner – Sony – technical partner – and Il Giornale dell’Arte – media partner. The exhibition catalog for the 15th edition of Cortona On The Move is produced in collaboration with Allemandi Editore.
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