A Work of Light Between Past and Present
From September 26 to 28, 2025, the historic heart of Siena will be transformed into a stage of images, lights, and sounds, with a spectacular video mapping show that will animate the façade of the Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia. The event marks the opening of the Siena Awards Photo Festival 2025, which this year coincides with the seven-hundredth anniversary of the Tower’s construction.
A Dialogue Between Images of Yesterday and Today
The installation is a journey through time, where the 14th-century frescoes by Ambrogio Lorenzetti are interwoven with the award-winning photographs of the SIPA – Siena International Photo Awards.
Just as Lorenzetti depicted the effects of Good and Bad Government, this new work creates a contemporary allegory—made of images that break apart and recombine: a dialogue between history and photography, between collective memory and the present.
At the center of the visual narrative is Lorenzetti’s famous fresco cycle, in which he made a revolutionary gesture for his time: portraying ordinary people—not just saints or commanders, but artisans, merchants, farmers, children, and the elderly.
This visionary choice inspires the installation’s concept: merging and juxtaposing the faces and landscapes of today—captured in SIPA’s award-winning photographs—with those of the medieval frescoes.
An Immersive Experience for the Entire City
Accompanied by an original score by John Metcalfe, blending echoes of medieval music with evocative modern sounds, the installation will, for three consecutive nights, transform the center of Siena into a place of emotion, reflection, and wonder.
A unique event—designed to move and amaze—that celebrates art, history, and photography.
Info
Location:
Piazza del Campo – Siena
Date:
26-27-28 September 2025
Shows:
9:00 pm – 9:45 pm – 10:30 pm – 11:15 pm – 12:00 am
CREDITS CREATIVE:
SIENA AWARDS PHOTO FESTIVAL 2025
Curator and Art Director | Luca Venturi
GRAN OPENING AND AWARDS CEREMONY 2025
Creative Producer & Art Director | Marco Boarino
Executive and Creative Producer | Christina Lidegaard
Authors | Davide Tappero Merlo | Silvia Rigon
Art Director | Diana De Paolis
Set Designer | Gigi Maresca
Original Soundtrack | John Metcalfe
Lighting Designer | Giovanni Pinna
Showcaller & Creative Coordinator | Gloria Maffina
Production Assistant | Valentina Zappa
