The artist video series The Shadow of the Tree returns to museo Madre with a second edition, sharpening its focus on artistic exploration from the Mediterranean region. The title, chosen for the first edition by curator Martha Kirszenbaum, draws on a line by Bassam Hajar that, through the metaphor of the tree, evokes both rootedness and exile, poetically highlighting the intense geopolitical specificity that this region embodies at this moment in history. For this new phase, the project brings together six of the most active independent organizations in the Campania region dedicated to contemporary visual culture: ATTIVA Cultural Projects, EX – VOTO [radical public culture], Flip Project, Marea Art Project, Opificio Puca, and Quartiere Latino.
The exhibition aims to stimulate historical and political reflection that is open to a variety of representations, approaches, and imaginaries. At the same time, it promotes a model of collaboration and shared research that works with independent organizations active in the local area to shape the museum’s programming through the involvement of national and international artists.
Each organization was asked to invite an artist with whom it had previously collaborated or whose work resonated with its own artistic and curatorial practices. The proposals showed great diversity, ranging from visual and audio interpretations of themes related to memory, to cultural heritage and the concept of both physical and social boundaries. Presented in the Sala Madre, the exhibition unfolds over three weeks through the screening of artist videos and the playing of audio essays. Enriching the audio-video works throughout the entire exhibition, a series of talks is scheduled with some of the participating artists, who—along with representatives from the independent spaces and museo Madre’s own curatorial team—will explore the content of the videos and the broader themes emerging from each artist’s research.
Program 1
5–11.06.2026
Noor Abed, our songs were ready for all wars to come, 2021
super 8mm transferred to digital, color, sound, 20’
Gruppo Underworld, Napoli Assediata, 2006
DV video, color, sound, 6’40’’
Nicola Baratto, Tears of Fog, 2025
16mm film transferred to 4K digital, color, sound, 11’55’’
Program 2
12–18.6.2026
Fabrizio Cicero, Application, 2019
video, color, sound, 9’51’’
Joud Toamah, Traveling Images, an Image Amidst the Heart, 2019
الصور المتنقلة صورة بوسط القلب
video, color, sound, 6’
Elisa Caldana, The Island Behind The Horizon, 2015
video full HD, color, sound, 3’
Program 3
19–21.06.2026
Noor Abed, our songs were ready for all wars to come, 2021
super 8mm transferred to digital, color, sound, 20’
Gruppo Underworld, Napoli Assediata, 2006
DV video, color, sound, 6’40’’
Nicola Baratto, Tears of Fog, 2025
16mm film transferred to 4K digital, color, sound, 11’55’’
Fabrizio Cicero, Application, 2019
video, color, sound, 9’51’’
Joud Toamah, Traveling Images, an Image Amidst the Heart, 2019
الصور المتنقلة صورة بوسط القلب
video, color, sound, 6’
Elisa Caldana, The Island Behind The Horizon, 2015
video full HD, color, sound, 3’
All videos are projected in loop in Sala Madre during museum opening hours.
