A village does not consist only of houses, streets, walls and fountains. A village needs the people who live there. People who open their windows in the morning to breathe the fresh air, who greet their fellow townspeople when their paths cross, who show a visitor the way.
Small mountain communities, worldwide, and their surrounding hamlets are experiencing an actual loss of population. This issue is also a matter of concern in the Cadore region. A vital force is lost and cultural depletion occurs when a village population is diminished. Whether real or perceived, this compromises civic action and lowers the quality of life.
Mountain people typically share a strong attachment to their mountains and they strive to bring value to the landscape. In Gente di montagna the focus is primarily on the Cadore but also crosses cultures throughout the world. Through a journey of images portraying the people who live in the mountains, these photographs depict the bonds that exist between mountain people and their existing mountainous environments.
Sharing these images aims to provide a greater identity for the places where people live. The hope is for mountain people to become active citizens who work on projects and develop new models of future life. By establishing a mutual exchange of cultures and knowledge, tourists will be encouraged to discover their role as responsible citizens of solidarity and not just consumers.
The photographs will be displayed along a path through the streets of Pozzale di Cadore. The images, collected by families of the town and from friends and acquaintances from other countries throughout the world, will be displayed in various formats on the walls of village houses. The permanent exhibit contains photographs not just from the Cadore but also from other areas of Italy: Lombardia, Piemonte, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Emilia-Romagna as well as from Spain, North Vietnam, Iran and Nepal. Future additions to the collection are anticipated.
This is a permanent exhibit that will be available for all who visit Pozzale di Cadore, near Pieve di Cadore in the province of Belluno. The photographs can be viewed every day of the year and at any time of night or day. In the sunshine, in the rain, in the snow, you may meet the mountain people in these photographs.
Residents of Pozzale di Cadore enthusiastically support this project and collectively join in to make the exhibit a reality.
The project is made possible by the patronage of the Municipality of Pieve di Cadore and the Regola di Pozzale di Cadore.
