On the Threshold. Symbols and Rituals of Death in Friuli through the Photographs of Carlo Innocenti
On the Threshold.
Symbols and Rituals of Death in Friuli through the Photographs of Carlo Innocenti
Palazzo Giacomelli, Via Grazzano 1, Udine
25th September - 29th September 2026
Thursday | 10.00-14.00 (last entry 13.30)
Friday-Sunday | 10.00-18.00 (last entry 17.30)
Palazzo Giacomelli headquarter of MEF, Via Grazzano,1 - Udine
Inauguration on the 25th of September, 2026, at 17.00
On 25 September 2026, the exhibition "On the Threshold. Symbols and Rituals of Death in Friuli through the Photographs of Carlo Innocenti" opens to the public at Palazzo Giacomelli, home to the Museo Etnografico del Friuli.Curated by Pamela Pielich and Caterina Vidon, the exhibition offers an anthropological and visual reflection on the transformations that rituals surrounding death in Friuli have undergone over time. It uses these rituals as a privileged vantage point from which to observe broader cultural change.The exhibition explores the shift from communal and domestic approaches to death to increasingly individualised and medicalised practices. These practices have also become progressively stripped of shared rituals. Until the second half of the twentieth century, mourning was a time of strong collective participation, with wakes held at home. Ritual practices, codes of oral tradition and relationships with neighbours helped communities process loss collectively. Today, the gradual disappearance of places traditionally associated with farewell rituals and the spread of cremation have profoundly changed these practices. As a result, individuals are increasingly left to shoulder the grieving process alone.
The exhibition brings different forms of expression and documentary sources into dialogue. Carlo Innocenti’s photographs offer a visual interpretation of the symbols, objects and places associated with death. They highlight both their enduring presence and their transformations within the Friulian landscape. The photographs are accompanied by anonymous testimonies collected through philosophical workshops curated by REU – Ritorno all’Essere Umani, together with a sound installation created by Roberto Frisano and Valter Colle. Through ritual songs, prayers and oral memories relating to death, the installation highlights the intangible cultural heritage of a region historically characterised by multilingualism.The exhibition also features a selection of items from Udine’s Civic Collections, including historic uniforms worn by funeral service staff. Also on display is the Ciccinelli photographic album, signed by Brisighelli, which provides a valuable record of the iconography of mourning in the region. A further section is devoted to the hearse in the Civic Collections, known to have transported the body of Franz Ferdinand. Its physical presence is evoked and explored through a scientific and documentary study curated by art historian and conservator Fabio Franz.
The exhibition will be accompanied by an extensive programme of related activities, talks, in-depth discussions and guided tours for the public. These will provide further opportunities to explore the anthropological and social dimensions of the themes addressed in the exhibition. An invitation to reflect on the meaning of farewell rituals and the ways in which contemporary society confronts loss, through a perspective that brings memory, culture and transformation into dialogue.
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