THEY ARE PEOPLE | 08-11-1991 - FRIDAY 24 MAY 2019 - LUNGOMARE IX MAY ANGOLO VIA VITOP DE FANO

"They are People, desperate people. They cannot be sent back, we are their only hope."

This is the sentence that the mayor of Bari Enrico Dalfino (1935-1994) pronounced on the 8th of August 1991, when the Vlora ship entered the port of Bari with its cargo of 20,000 Albanians.

Today, 24/05/2019 the thought of hospitality is renewed, in a society where, immigration and the humanitarian emergency are hot topic widely discussed. Strong words, important words, translated into code M.O.R.S.E and placed side by side on the date of landing. These are the words that inspire the author of the work Jasmine Pignatelli, an artist of Canadian origin and of Bari adoption.

A public sculpture curated by Anna Gambatesa and Stefano Straziota installed on the facade of a popular accommodation in the San Girolamo district in Bari.

Values and feelings towards the sea. A work dedicated to all the people of Bari, to those who were able to welcome the castaways of the continent of the eagle country without reservations and without fear, but only with focaccia pans and football matches, driven by a strong feeling of welcome and spontaneity.

Today like yesterday, the San Girolamo neighborhood has been enthusiastic and welcoming. An energy that gives a breath of freshness to an entire community, giving the full participation to schools and representatives of the municipal administration.

In the TrackDesign team, thanking the promoters of this event, we are proud to have collaborated and shared sensitive issues such as: art, tourism and hospitality, which have always characterised us.

In support of this artistic initiative, we thank all the institutions that allowed the installation of the work. A feeling towards art that is the demonstration of being able to communicate important values and concrete benefits for society, never like today, deeply infected with fear and rage.

A thought, a sentence: "They are people, we are people".

Jasmine has shown great excitement in telling everyone's enthusiasm in supporting her in the creation of such an important work that will remain indelible for us from Puglia.

An example of pride in a city that renews its values of solidarity today as well as it did 28 years ago.

The work is in M.O.R.S.E. maritime communication code, which also gifts the name to the work, translating as: ".. signal sent into the ether, facing the sea and dedicated to all the people of Bari", as said by Dalfino jr. son of the mayor to whom the work is dedicated.

Today no one can remain indifferent, especially in these years, with the xenophobic landscape looming over the whole world, we are all called to strip ourselves of the indignity that has marked us for years and to take a stand, all of us; citizens, politicians, companies.

At TrackDesign, we can only thank Jasmine for involving us into the creation of the entire work, proudly donated to the citizens, certain that the positive feelings of the people of Bari and of all the Southerners can always come back through it!