"From Planet to Plate": Unveiling the Hidden Stories Behind Our Food

The third edition of Yeast Photo Festival runs from September 19 to November 3 in Matino and Salento, showcasing powerful visual narratives on critical issues:

Exposing the exploitation of water resources for intensive avocado farming, unveiling the drug cartels’ influence in the industry. Revealing the widespread use of crop protection agents and their impact on public health. Examining the dynamics of meat production and its effects on the climate crisis.
At Yeast Photo Festival, photographers focus on production systems, supply chains, and consumer habits, which are increasingly altering the complex relationship between humans and the environment.
There will be reportages, documentaries, experiments and visual contaminations, as well as stories of resistance, to encourage reflection from multiple viewpoints on the conscious consumption of food. Because what we have on our plates every day has enormous consequences in terms of climate, culture, economy and society.

At this link you can download the main photos of the exhibitions in web resolution

High-resolution photos for printing are available on request

(Milan, Septmber 2nd, 2024) To echo the words of Claude Lévi-Strauss: our dishes are the language through which society unconsciously translates its structure. We are often unaware of what we eat. We are unaware that behind a trendy fruit like the avocado, there are stories of organized crime and the exploitation of water resources. That the meat we consume, often imported, has devastating effects on the environment, fueling the climate crisis, which in turn forces us to experiment with new tropical crops in Sicily. That supply chains and production systems generate consequences not only for the climate but also for public health. The food we consume tells the story of an entire techno-social system that contaminates every corner of the planet, altering the complex relationship between humans and the environment.

These are some of the insights conveyed by the 15 projects, several of which are being exhibited in Italy for the first time at this edition of Yeast Photo Festival - From Planet to Plate - in Matino and Salento, from 19 September to 3 November. The new edition of the festival will be presented on Thursday 19 September with an opening conference at Palazzo Scarciglia in Lecce, at 6pm, featuring the co-directors of the festival, Flavio&Frank and Veronica Nicolardi, artistic director Edda Fahrenhorst, Dario Babbo, vice-president ArtWork, Don Antonio Montinaro, president of the Splendor Fidei Foundation, Johnny Toma, mayor of the municipality of Matino, and Canadian photographer Sarah Boutin.

‘For the third edition of Yeast Photo Festival,’ says Artistic Director Edda Fahrenhorst, ‘we are focusing more than ever on the impact of individual eating habits on our planet. Not only that, but also on how human food consumption affects the social sphere and, not least, contributes to the growing climate catastrophe. Fifteen works from many countries around the world will present different aspects of these issues to stimulate reflection and discussion.’

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTS ON SHOW

The theme of health is the focus of Pablo E. Piovano’s work, who documented the impact of pesticides. In The Human Cost — exhibited at the Palazzo Marchesale Del Tufo in Matino (Lecce) — the Argentine documentary photographer explored the north, center, and coast of Argentina over three years, covering 15,000 km. The result of his research is a reportage that highlights and denounces the serious consequences of agrochemical use, such as glyphosate, on human health. For the first time in Italy, the entire photographic corpus is on display.

Where is our food produced? And how is it distributed around the world? In Food for Thought — on show for the first time in Italy at the Palazzo Marchesale Del Tufo in Matino — photographer and filmmaker Kadir van Lohuizen follows the entire process in Kenya, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, China, and his home country, the Netherlands. He investigates the impact our food consumption has on the environment, public health, and the economy.

The project Waha واحة (meaning ‘oasis’ in English, produced in collaboration with ArtWork, also exhibited for the first time in Italy in the Cloister of the ancient Seminary in Lecce) by Seif Kousmate, a visual artist who grew up in southern Morocco, aims to deepen our understanding of life around oases. This work is the result of four years of research, using new processes and visual narratives to explore the complex relationship between humans and their environment.

An environment that, in Central America, is under enormous strain from extensive avocado cultivation—a fruit that is a major player in global demand and now features regularly on our plates. German director Axel Javier Sulzbacher traveled to the Michoacán region in Mexico (one of the main production areas) to document in Green Shades — on show for the first time in Italy at the Palazzo Marchesale Del Tufo in Matino — not only the devastation of forests, cut down to make way for avocado fields, but also the involvement of drug cartels attracted by the enormous profits generated by the "green gold" trade.

Tropical crops are also rapidly growing in Sicily as an adaptation to climate change. This is one of the main themes of Tropicalia (in collaboration with Cantina San Donaci and Masseria Le Stanzíe), a project by the photographic duo Jean-Marc Caimi and Valentina Piccinni. Exhibited among the finalists in the ‘Environment’ category in Milan (at the Museo Diocesano) during the traveling group exhibition Sony World Photography Awards 2024, Tropicalia will be presented for the first time at Yeast as a solo exhibition, displayed at Masseria Le Stanzíe in Supersano (Lecce).

Food production and its consequences on the climate are addressed by Carolina Arantes in Holy Cow (curated by Lars Lindemann, and on show for the first time in Italy at Palazzo Marchesale Del Tufo in Matino), which explores how the meat we consume today is produced, and by whom. One out of every four steaks, in fact, comes from Brazil, making the meat export industry a significant factor in environmental and food impacts. Last year, the Brazilian meat market reached a record $9.75 billion, with over 2.25 million tonnes of meat exported. This demand is driven largely by China’s entry into the market, but it also involves Italy.

The relationship between human beings and nature is also at the center of the project Mijn Duifje (My Dove / My Lovely) - A Pact Between a Man and a Bakery by Nynke Brandsma, a Dutch photographer and visual artist. On show for the first time in Italy at the Macelleria Ex Nau in Matino, her work explores judgments, hidden metropolitan stories, security, food, possibilities, research, and above all, the love of a person for a bird.

Also on show for the first time in Europe and in Italy, at Palazzo Scarciglia (Lecce), is Merci pour ton agréable visite, les jolies fleurs et les délicieuses fraises (Thank You for the Pleasant Visit, the Beautiful Flowers, and the Delicious Strawberries You Let Me Taste, curated by Edda Fahrenhorst & Veronica Nicolardi, in collaboration with ArtWork), by Sarah Boutin. This photographic work, developed over more than two years, features a poetic-documentary approach and is set in the convent of the Order of the Sisters of Charity in Quebec. Here, the Canadian visual artist and researcher had the opportunity to meet Jaqueline, a 90-year-old nun and childhood friend of her late grandmother. The three days spent with her in the convent's retirement home allowed Boutin to approach a time of serenity, marked by the rhythm of the convent’s activities.

Photographic reportages of denunciation, accounts of the climate crisis, and the impact of the food industry on the planet. Also featured are stories celebrating indigenous resistance to the devastation of ecosystems, such as The Forest Knows (with the contribution of the Municipality of Racale and in collaboration with OTM Company, a project realized thanks to the Guglielmo Giordano Foundation and Aboca). This is the story of the Asháninka people of the village of Apiwtxa, narrated through the photographs of Nicoló Lanfranchi, exhibited in the Church of Santa Maria La Nova in Racale (Lecce). The founders of the village, the Piyãko brothers, planted millions of trees, fighting to preserve the land and culture of the Asháninka. Their commitment has transformed once-devastated land into a lush forest rich in food, fruit, and medicinal plants. The village of Apiwtxa has thus achieved food security and autonomy, enabling its people to maintain a balance between their way of life, their culture, and modernity.

At the Palazzo Marchesale Del Tufo in Matino, one can admire the work of Florian W. Müller, CŪ (Sponsored by Chromaluxe and New Lab Photo), where different organs and individual parts of an animal are artistically raised on a pedestal, inviting dialogue with the viewer. The photographic project, featuring the central image of a heart, was created exclusively for Yeast Photo Festival and is therefore a world premiere.

The impact of the climate crisis on the vineyards of Château Palmer (Garonne River, France) is the backdrop for Henrike Stahl's L'Arc Sera Parmi Les Nuages (The Arc Will Be in the Clouds, curated by Inas Fayed), on show for the first time in Italy at the Ex Oleificio Barone in Matino. The German photographer was inspired by the natural methods used by the company; for example, she immersed the prints in wine or in the water of the nearby Garonne River. Finally, Stahl arranged the prints in a wine bottle and placed it in the cellar with the other containers — her message is for posterity.

Vernacular Photography Collection by Jean-Marie Donat (curated by Krzysztof Candrowicz and exhibited at the Palazzo Marchesale Del Tufo in Matino) showcases Jean-Marie Donat's collection of vernacular photographs, with a selection of images made exclusively for Yeast Photo Festival. Lively shots of smiling cows and amused hens, portrayed on advertising posters, illustrate the capitalist narrative of consumerist happiness. Although seemingly lighthearted, the photographs offer a deeper, critical perspective on the food industry.

Kateřina Sýsová presents Kukbuk (in collaboration with the Czech Centre in Rome, the Municipality of Castrignano de' Greci, Kora Centro del Contemporaneo, and with the support of ECOSERVIS spol. s.r.o), a visual guide to Czech culinary culture. The images, on show for the first time in Italy at Kora Centro del Contemporaneo in Castrignano de' Greci (Lecce), are composed in an expressive manner, taking the form of visual sketches that explore the customs and conventions typical of Czech cuisine. Sýsová conceives her photographs as works that can be read from multiple points of view, composed as visual sketches that, with a touch of visual humor, raise broader questions about the influence of the past on the present, the relationship between image and word, and gender issues associated with the pleasure of observation.

Alessia Rollo's Don't Play With Food, exhibited outdoors in Matino (a project commissioned by Yeast Photo Festival and thus a ‘first-ever preview’), aims to explore the different relationships that food can activate, as well as to understand the various aspects of a place, cultural and social habits, and environmental issues connected to food.

Among the notable projects is Welcome to Yesterday, the first solo exhibition in Italy by photographer Alexander Yegorov, winner of the IRINOX SAVE THE FOOD Award, in collaboration with MIA Photo Fair and Irinox. His work, exhibited in Matino, is a poetic and visual reflection on the tradition of gathering to enjoy food. Meeting at the table for various occasions is an important cultural practice. There is no place for conflict when eating together. In this context, photographs of leftovers become evidence that something positive has occurred — artefacts of the past and symbols of hope for the future.

PORTFOLIO REVIEWS

On Saturday, 21 September, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Yeast Photo Festival portfolio reviews return to the Sala Scuderie of Palazzo Marchese del Tufo, in Piazza San Giorgio in Matino (Lecce). All participants will have the opportunity to present their work to national and international photo editors and professionals, offering a chance to refine their skills and gain insight into navigating today’s photographic landscape. All meetings can be booked through the official Yeast Photo Festival website.

This edition's reviewers include:

Krzysztof Candrowicz, an interdisciplinary curator, sociologist, researcher, project facilitator, and activist. He is the co-founder and member of the Foundation of Visual Education and Fotofestiwal in Lodz, and former director of Art Factory and Lodz Art Center (Poland).
Claudio Composti, founder and artistic director of mc2gallery in Milan — a gallery specializing in photography — and founder of the online platform Periscope Photoscouting, which focuses on discovering and promoting young Italian and international photographic artists.
Veronica Daltri worked as a photo editor at the magazine “Internazionale” and now at the daily newspaper “il manifesto”, where he supervises the online photography section in addition to the newspaper. He often collaborates with the Rvm publishing house and other independent companies.
Mike Gamio, one of the two owners of the agency Fotogloria | Office for Photographic Collaboration, based in Hamburg (Germany), specializing in corporate communication clients.
Lars Lindemann, a curator, editor, and creative director. He has served as a jury member for several national and international photography competitions, including the Prix Carmignac du Photojournalisme and the World Press Photo, editions 2020 and 2021.
Mohamed Somji, director of Gulf Photo Plus (GPP), a Dubai-based gallery and community organization that has been cultivating visual practices in photography in the UAE and the entire MENASA region since 2004. He is also co-curator of the biennial BredaPhoto Festival in the Netherlands.
Jan von Holleben, a photographer and Director of Kids Love Photography. He lives and works between Paris (France) and Berlin (Germany). His work has been exhibited worldwide and has won prestigious awards. He has published more than 20 children's books and artist’s books, translated into 16 languages.

TECHNICAL SHEET

Title

Yeast International Photo Festival

Festival locations

Palazzo Marchesale Del Tufo - Matino (Le), with the contribution of Comune di Matino

Pablo Ernesto Piovano - The Human Cost
Kadir von Lohuizen - Food for Thought
Axel Javier Sulzbacher - Green Shades
Carolina Arantes - Holy Cow

Curated by Lars Lindemann

Florian W. Müller - CŪ
FEAST NO MORE

Food Hypertrophy in the Vernacular Photography Collection by Jean-Marie Donat

Curated by Krzysztof Candrowicz

Macelleria Ex Nau - Matino (Le)

Nynke Brandsma - Mijn Duifje (my dove / my lovely) - A pact between a man and a bakery

Ex Oleificio Barone - Matino (Le)

Henrike Stahl - L'Arc Sera Parmi Les Nuages

Curated by Inas Fayed

Outdoor Exhibition - Matino (Le)

Alexander Yegorov - Welcome to Yesterday

Winner of the IRINOX SAVE THE FOOD Award in collaboration with Mia Photo Fair and Irinox

Alessia Rollo - Don't Play with Food.

Project commissioned by Yeast Photo Festival

Masseria Le Stanzíe - Supersano (Le)

Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni - Tropicalia

In collaboration with Cantina San Donaci and Masserie Le Stanzíe

Cloister of the Ancient Seminary - Lecce

Seif Kousmate - Waha واحة

In collaboration with ArtWork

Palazzo Scarciglia - Lecce

Sarah Boutin - Merci Pour Ton Agréable Visite, Les Jolies Fleurs Et Les Délicieuses Fraises

Curated by Veronica Nicolardi & Edda Fahrenhorst

In collaboration with ArtWork

Church of Santa Maria La Nova - Racale (Lecce)

Nicoló Lanfranchi - The Forest Knows

With the contribution of the Municipality of Racale and in collaboration with OTM Company

Project realised thanks to the Guglielmo Giordano Foundation and Aboca

Kora Centro del Contemporaneo - Castrignano de' Greci

Kateřina Sýsová - Kukbuk

In collaboration with Centro Ceco di Roma, Comune di Castrignano de' Greci and Kora Centro del Contemporaneo and the support of ECOSERVIS spol. s.r.o

Opening dates to the public

19 September - 3 November

Main Sponsors
Banca Popolare Pugliese
SPS Manifatture
Gial Ambiente
Officine Tamborrino
CAM - Mercedes
Cantina San Donaci

Cultural Partners
Treccani Cultura Foundation
Le Stanzíe
Kora Contemporary Centre
Slow Food Italy

Technical Partners
FVF SRL - Italian Service for Fashion
X-Graph - Print for Passione

Digital and social support
Radio Montecarlo

With the patronage of:
Ministry of Culture, Apulia Region, Province of Lecce, Municipality of Lecce, Municipality of Matino, Municipality of Racale, Municipality of Castrignano de' Greci

Catalogue

Yeast Photo Festival 2024. Edited by Edda Fahrenhorst, published by OTM Company srl, sale price €15

Opening Hours

Cloister of the ancient seminary, Lecce

Daily 9-21

Palazzo Scarciglia, Lecce

Daily 10-16

Church of Santa Maria La Nova - Racale (Le)

Monday, closed

Tuesday to Friday 16-19

Saturday and Sunday 10-12.30 e 16-20 (To be confirmed)

Exhibitions in Matino

Monday, closed

Tuesday to Friday 16-19

Saturday and Sunday 10-12.30 e 16-20

Kora Centro del Contemporaneo, Castrignano de' Greci

Mondays closed

Tuesday and Wednesday 10am-6pm

Thursday and Friday 10am-8pm

Saturday and Sunday 6pm-10 pm

Le Stanzíe

Always open

Tickets

Full price valid for all exhibitions 10 €

Reduced price valid for all exhibitions 8 € for:

Groups of 10 paying persons
Students under 26
Over 65
Assistants accompanying people with disabilities

Schools/all exhibitions 3€

Yeast Photo Festival grants all primary and secondary school classes a special ticket that includes a guided tour.

Free admission for:

Under 14
People with disabilities
Residents of Matino Municipality upon presentation of a valid identity document
Admission to exhibitions in Lecce, Racale, Castrignano de' Greci, Le Stanzíe is always free.

Official ticket office

TicketOne

Website

www.yeastphotofestival.it

Yeast Photo Festival Press Office

Mirandola Comunicazione I www.mirandola.net

Antonella Maia I mobile 349.4757783 I antonella.maia@mirandola.net

Uploaded on 27/08/2024