In Parabita (Lecce), a new work by Rossella Biscotti kicks off the second edition of Ipogea

The “Parabita per il contemporaneo” project continues in Parabita (Lecce) with the second edition of “Ipogea, ” which will feature the unveiling of Rossella Biscotti’s permanent installation *L’uomo che cammina all’indietro* on July 23, 2026. The initiative, promoted by the Municipality of Parabita based on an idea by Mayor Stefano Prete, is curated by Carmelo Cipriani under the artistic direction of Giovanni Lamorgese and will be presented during a press conference at 11 a.m. in the Council Chamber at Via Luigi Ferrari 1. The unveiling of the artwork is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on Via Bartolo Ravenna, in the presence of Regional Councilor for Culture Silvia Miglietta, Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the provinces of Brindisi, Lecce, and Taranto, Antonio Zunno, the artist, the curator, and the artistic director. Guided tours of the “Votiva” and “Ipogea” exhibits will follow starting at 9:15 p.m.

Following the Votiva project, which transformed the votive shrines of the historic center into an open-air museum, Ipogea focuses on the city’s underground heritage, with site-specific installations dedicated to highlighting the rock-cut cavities and ancient underground oil mills. The project offers a new interpretation of the relationship between memory, landscape, and contemporary art, identifying stone as a symbolic element capable of connecting the past and the present.

This second edition follows the launch of the program, which began last year with *La Grotta* by Francesco Arena—a permanent installation created at the site of an ancient underground oil mill and conceived as a reference to early human settlements and stoneworking.

For this new installation, Rossella Biscotti has chosen an ancient millstone located at the beginning of Via Bartolo Ravenna, the street where Votiva began. The object is reinterpreted as a wheel—a symbol of one of humanity’s earliest technological achievements—but also as an element suggesting reverse motion. On the surface of the millstone, brass letters arranged in a spiral pattern form the phrase “The man walking backward.” The direction of reading proceeds in the opposite direction of the object’s rotation, creating a tension between form and meaning that transforms the millstone into a reflection on time, history, and the relationship between progress and regression.

“Parabita for the Contemporary stems from a political and cultural vision that looks to the future without ceasing to question the past,” says Stefano Prete, Mayor of Parabita. “We want our city to become increasingly fertile, not only in material terms but also in symbolic ones. In this process, art is an instrument of regeneration: it sparks wonder, restores depth to thought, and reactivates bonds between people, places, and generations.”

In Parabita (Lecce), a new work by Rossella Biscotti kicks off the second edition of Ipogea

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.