Discover the map here

ㅤ

Lu Gallu was born from the meaningful dialogue the artist established with the local community during his residency. A group of residents warmly welcomed him and actively participated in his research process. During a night walk exploring the village’s stories, Luca — a local historian committed to collecting and archiving memories of the past — told him about a sculpture that once stood at the entrance to the village, on the town walls, but had been missing for many years. It was a galletto (little rooster): a detail that immediately captured Abate’s interest and led him to search for visual traces of it among the thousands of images preserved in the provincial photographic archive, located right in Altidona — without success.
Just a few days after his departure, Luca found and sent him a black-and-white photograph: it portrayed his father sitting in the main square with a friend, and in the background, the rooster could be seen proudly perched on the town walls.
That image became a sign — a clear direction for the project. In fact, some of Abate’s previous works had already focused on avian species, and the discovery of this sculpture became a meaningful coincidence that naturally inspired his intervention for this edition of Una Boccata d’Arte: to return the rooster to the village.
Recalling the tradition of the fornaciai— local craftsmen who worked clay to mold and fire the bricks used to build the village — Abate created the sculpture in terracotta. He also produced clay plates and jugs for water and wine, which have been used during the opening in Altidona, turning the event into a true village celebration to welcome the rooster back to its place.

ㅤ

Artwork:

01. VGiuseppe Abate, Lu Gallu, 2025, terracotta, 60 x 30 x 60 cm.
Piazza del Belvedere, Altidona (FM)
The work is installed on the town walls.

ㅤ
The terracotta jugs for water and wine, created by the artist for the opening celebration, are on display inside the Bar del Corso, along with several drawings that document the sculptural development of the project.

Bar del Corso, Via Dante, 4A, Altidona (FM)
Open daily, from 7:00 AM to 12:00 AM

Giuseppe Abate (Bari, Italy, 1987) graduated in Painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice in 2011 and earned an MA in Material Futures from Central Saint Martins – University of the Arts London (UK) in 2020.
His work has been exhibited in various institutions and art galleries such as: VOGA Art Project (Bari IT, 2024); Copperfield Gallery (London UK, 2023); Galleria Michela Rizzo (Venice IT, 2022); Cinema Galleggiante (Venice IT, 2022); Spazio Cabinet_Studiolo (Milan IT, 2020); ADA Project Gallery (Rome IT, 2019); Palazzo Barolo, (Turin IT, 2019); Assam State Museum (Guwahati IN, 2017); Museo Nazionale della Montagna (Turin IT, 2016); Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa (Venice IT, 2011; 2013; 2014; 2015); Rob Pruitt Flea Market c/o A + A Gallery (Venice IT, 2015); Museo di Arte Contemporanea Pino Pascali (Bari IT, 2012); Galleria Municipale d’Arte Contemporanea di Monfalcone (Monfalcone IT, 2011). In 2014 he won the one year residency program prize at Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa, Venice IT. Between 2016 and 2018 he has been invited to the Guwahati Research Program curated by Microclima Venice, Guwahati, Assam IN. In 2018 he was among the finalists at Premio Cairo, Milan IT. In 2023 he won the competition for the sculptural project of refurbishment of OGR Torino’s fountain, Turin IT; the same year, through the PAC and with the collaboration of MUVE, the tapestry 'Piroètte', collaboration with Giovanni Bonotto, became part of the permanent collection of Museo Fortuny, Venice, IT.