The memory of Ettore De Socio, his attention towards marginal areas, his civil and political commitment in support of the least fortunate, his passion for journalism and photography are at the center of the first edition of the national photographic competition "Periphery" which will be held on October 18th at 5.00 pm at the Irpino Museum together with the award ceremony of two other exhibitions dedicated to the same theme: “Tokai. The street children of Dhaka” by Marco Giannattasio and “Jeeg lives here” by Fabio Moscatelli.
The initiative was born from the will of Ettore's family, two years after his death, and was organized together with the "Controvento" cultural association and with the patronage of the Province of Avellino where, in the Grasso room of Palazzo Caracciolo, the presentation of the initiative was held in the presence of his son Fulvio De Socio, his widow Licia Festa, the president of the Province of Avellino Rizieri Buonopane, the president of the Controvento Generoso Picone association and the director of the Irpino Museum Giovanna Silvestri.
"The idea of creating this competition was born in the summer of 2023 in a moment of personal reflection, during the mourning following the loss of my father - said his son Fulvio. With the competition we wanted to combine his two passions, finding many membership, around 70 national participants, including those from Campania and Avellino, are mainly concentrated in the North-East of Italy, Lombardy and Tuscany. What emerges from the works of the various photographers is an obviously jagged scenario, which reflects the personality of the authors, with elements of optimism but also negative or even elements recalling a real social redemption to escape from the cliché that sees the suburbs as poor, ugly and in decay. Finally, there are also projects by Italian photographers who have worked on 'abroad, producing reports in Africa"
"These reports - continued De Socio - were created, above all, to give a cognitive and educational contribution to realities that are distant but close - stated Fulvio De Socio - a redemption of the citizens of certain peripheral areas to make up for the gaps given by politics".
The evaluation of the works by jurors who evaluated, with a score from 1 to 5, the technical-practical skills of the photographic work, the theming, the originality of the work, the editing and the emotional mood, in order to decree the three winners.
The works participating in the photographic competition in memory of Ettore De Socio will be viewable at the headquarters of the former Bourbon prison of Avellino at the Irpino Museum, in Avellino until 4 January 2025. Visitors will have the opportunity to admire the works of emerging and established artists , whose projects highlight the beauty and complexities of the suburbs. In addition, the monitors in the room will project the works of all the authors who participated in the competition in a loop, creating an immersive and engaging atmosphere.
