by Cristina Fontanelli
In Pistoia the spotlight is on the most anticipated immersive festival of contemporary anthropology of the year which in this edition offers an interesting calendar full of initiatives. From Friday 24 to Sunday 26 May 2024, the historic Festival of Dialogues arrives in Pistoia, a successful cultural initiative conceived by Giulia Cogoli and promoted by the Municipality of Pistoia and the Caript Foundation. Now in its fifteenth edition, the event this time has the theme of food as its underlying theme, a topic which on this occasion is understood in its multiple meanings because food (an excellent metaphor for culture) must be good to think about as well as capable of feeding the body, as claimed by Claude Lèvi Strauss.
Nourish the body and also the mind well, given that if there are ingredients for longevity, incorrect food diets could instead threaten our health. Is it true that we are the result of what we eat? drawing inspiration from the famous statement by the philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach “we are what we eat”, philosophers, anthropologists, scientists, writers, monks, journalists, but also artists, performers and actors are invited to participate in a multi-voiced dialogue during the three days of the Festival. , etc. Paraphrasing Carlo Petrini, for whom food is and will remain the best form of diplomacy for perpetual peace between peoples, as well as the best source of pleasure and happiness, the organizers’ invitation is aimed at making us reflect more on why, for For example, in today’s world, there are still millions of people suffering from malnutrition and malnutrition, while in large areas of our planet food waste is far too widespread.
Eating, cooking and preparing food are profoundly human gestures, indispensable social experiences – declared Giulia Cogoli – activities that unite us all, nourishing our minds and therefore our daily lives on a global level. In Pistoia, the inauguration of the Festival of Dialogues will take place on May 24, 2024, from 6.00 pm, in Piazza del Duomo with the participation of Alessandro Tomasi (Mayor of Pistoia), Lorenzo Zogheri (President of the Caript Foundation) and Giulia Cogoli (Festival Director). On the same day, from 6.30 pm, the opening conference entitled “What young people are hungry for today” is entrusted to the philosopher Michela Marzano. In the same location, from 9.30 pm the conference by the botanist and plant neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso “A species without limits: how not to eat the Earth” is expected; and again on 24 May 2024, at the Bolognini Theater (10.30 pm) there was a screening of the documentary “Food for profit” curated by Giulia Innocenzi and Paolo D’Ambrosi. Professor’s lesson is scheduled for Saturday 05/25/2024 at the Manzoni Theater in Pistoia (10 am). Andrea Segrè “For zero waste food education”; while at the Bolognini Theater (12pm) the professor is on stage. Stefania De Pascale with a meeting dedicated to “Space agriculture: planting potatoes on Mars”. Again on Saturday, in Piazza del Duomo (from 6 pm) the monk and essayist Enzo Bianchi will intervene with the lectio “Food, table and sharing”.
Among the most anticipated events of this edition there is also the awarding of the International Prize “Dialoghi di Pistoia 2024” which this year is awarded to Corrado Augias, journalist, TV presenter and successful writer. As part of the Pistoia Dialoghi Festival, an extra program dedicated to younger people and children is also offered which takes place at the same time as the one dedicated to the adult public. From 23 May 2024, a photographic exhibition by the anthropologist Marco Aime will also be organised, a visual narrative entitled “Markets, foods and aromas”; the initiative, created by Pistoia Dialogues in collaboration with Confcommercio, it involves various commercial businesses and public locations in the city of Pistoia, sites where fifty-nine images are exhibited that tell us diverse stories of foods and aromas collected in various locations around the world. More info on the programming: www.dialoghidipistoia.it
