From August 31 to September 14, 2025, Intrecci•Intertwinings, a collective exhibition of art and design, will take place at the former Capuchin Monastery in Salve (Puglia, Italy). Co-curated by Giacomo Niccolai and Valentina Rito, with coordination by Maria Elena Perrotta, the exhibition is promoted by the Municipality of Salve with the support of the Puglia Region. It inaugurates a program dedicated to revitalizing the local territory through a dialogue between creativity and memory.
Former Capuchin Monastery – Photo © Alba Deangelis
The seventeenth-century convent, situated next to the monumental cemetery, retains original frescoes and an intact architectural structure. Its time-worn rooms and corridors form the perfect backdrop for a dialogue between contemporary practice and local heritage. Rather than emphasizing contrast, the exhibition fosters coexistence, revealing layers of stories and traditions.
Eroded Panorama, design Cosma Frascina
The exhibition is organized around three thematic strands: luce e ritualità (Light and Ritual), transforming collective symbols into contemporary experiences; fini e trame (Threads and Weaves), exploring weaving as a language of identity; and materia e radici (Matter and Roots), reflecting on the connection to earth, stone, and wood.
1/1/1 by 6:AM – Photo © Alessandro Saletta, DSL Studio
Bolla, design Andrea Vitti – Photo © Ilenia Tesoro
Many of the works, some created during artist residencies, draw inspiration from local materials – Lecce stone, olive wood, textiles, and traditional craftsmanship – reinterpreted through a contemporary lens. These are not decorative nods to tradition but processes that bring the region’s roots into dialogue with a wider cultural network.
Cartoframma Blu, design Daniele Papuli – Photo © Raul Zini
Participating artists and designers include 6:AM, Andrea Vitti, Andrea Zambelli, Benedetta Mori Ubaldini, Cosma Frascina, Daniele Papuli, Duccio Maria Gambi, Marco Guazzini, Mayice Studio with ÁBBATTE, Milena Paladino, Morghen Studio, Rowan Mersh, Scatter D, Tipstudio with Anna Lucia Rizzello, and Vezzini & Chen. Despite their varied techniques and approaches, all converge on the idea of intertwinement – both as a method and as a relational concept.
Staurolite, design Marco Guazzini – Photo © Nicola Gnesi
Intrecci•Intertwinings positions itself as a platform for dialogue and a laboratory of ideas, where historical and contemporary dimensions reinforce one another, opening new horizons for the cultural future of the Salento area, which has become a major touristic destination.
