"Immagina Riesi" is a journey by Italian photographer Gustavo Alàbiso back to the place of his childhood. Alàbiso now lives in Karlsruhe. Between 2015 and 2020, he was commissioned by the region of Sicily to search for his school friends, with whom he attended the primary school of the Protestant "Servizio Cristiano" in Riesi from 1968 to 1973. There, in the area of sulphur mining, poverty and emigration, Pastor Tullio Vinay had started a diaconal project with volunteers in 1961 to enable "social redemption" through education. In the all-day school, the most modern educational methods were combined with the values that the Protestant social project attempted to embody: Equality, respectful co-operation and tolerance.

In cooperation with the Huguenot Museum, the photo exhibition in the French Cathedral shows the people, the area, the buildings and the surroundings of the "Servizio Cristiano" and brings the founding years back to life. On the occasion of the 850th anniversary of the Waldensian movement, it also commemorates the Protestant minority in today's Italy and throughout Europe. All the photos in the exhibition were exposed on roll film using a Hasselblad 500C. A camera like this from 1970 could have been used for the photos of the children in Riesi back then. The region of Sicily has produced a documentary film about Alàbiso's research entitled "Una storia valdese" with historical film footage, which will be shown as part of the exhibition.

ATTENTION:

THE EXHIBITION IS CLOSED ON FRIDAY, 23/08/2024 DUE TO A CONCERT IN THE CHURCH HALL.

ON SATURDAY 24TH AUGUST YOU CAN VISIT THE EXHIBITION BETWEEN 6PM AND 2AM AS PART OF THE LONG NIGHT OF MUSEUMS.

Exhibition opening

Friday, July 19, 6 p.m. French Cathedral, Gendarmenmarkt 5, 10117 Berlin

Registration via: buero@franzoesische-kirche.de

ASK THE ARTIST: "Two perspectives of one story".

Photographer Gustavo Alàbiso (Karlsruhe) and film director Salvo Cuccia (Palermo) discuss the project. Moderated by Ieva Lucia Husić

Saturday, July 20, 6 p.m. French Cathedral, Gendarmenmarkt 5, 10117 Berlin. 

Film-screening "Una storia valdese",<sub>, in the presence of Gustavo Alàbiso and Salvo Cuccia

Sunday, July 21, 4:00 pm

Cinema BABYLON, Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 30, 10178 Berlin

"Long Night of the Museums" at the Huguenot Museum and the French Cathedral

Saturday, August 24

23:00: The Waldensian Connection - Minorities as the "salt of the earth"?

Publicist Dr. Christian Walther in conversation with Daniela Liebscher (community member) and Gustavo Alàbiso (photographer)

00:00: A shared spaghetti meal - Spaghettata di mezanotte