What has changed

Carla Cantore's perspective is attentive and informed regarding the extremely significant social and cultural phenomenon of Matera 2019. This marvelous southern city, as the photographer and Matera native rightly observes, was rarely included on national tourist itineraries before being awarded the title of European Capital of Culture. Now, it has become a must-see destination for an often invasive and massive tourism. This has led to a radical transformation of the urban landscape, which, in a very short time, has taken on a new look, populated with souvenir shops, local craft shops, and restaurants and bars offering appealing tourist menus. Carla Cantore recounts all this in her photographs. Her piercing gaze captures the dynamics of this invasion with irony and acuity. Her primary subject is not the tourist, but rather the sometimes stark contrast that greets them. From a certain perspective, this photographic sequence invites reflection on the pros and cons of so-called territorial marketing and its consequences. With a sincere and uninhibited gaze, Carla Cantore offers an inside look at the Basilicata capital, rediscovered only in recent years by European and national cultural policies, revealing a new side, hidden away from tourist and institutional communication. THE PHOTOGRAPHER Michela Frontino | Editor