Jean-Marc Caimi and Valentina Piccinni are Italian artists
Episode 304: Jean-Marc Caimi and Valentina Piccinni and I spoke about their new book Fastidiosa, published by Overlapse.
Jean-Marc Caimi and Valentina Piccinni are Italian artists whose work oscillates between photojournalism’s aesthetics and artistic intervention. Their new book Fastidiosa discusses pictorial narratives and local customs in Puglia regarding agronomics in Italy. Xylella fastidiosa is a plant bacteria ravaging southern Italia’s olive groves over the past few decades. The bacteria has led to the destruction of groves that are hundreds of years old and is widely affecting the region’s economy and industry leading to not only economical disparity but also the devastation of the local landscape.
The artists use the Xylella epidemic to discuss the divide between Italy’s South and North economies and the cultural importance of the olive in general terms. The images reflect the duo’s continued interest in the aesthetics of bookmaking and photojournalism. Throughout the book, there is an emphasis on research, and the images themselves carry this weight. The book is supported by a clever design from Tiffany Jones with interviews with local farmers. Please Tune In.
