When science becomes art: “The Vagabonds,” an installation by Fabrizio Bellomo based on specific drifters used by researchers at CNR-ISMAR, CNR-IFC, and INGV to study the paths taken by plastic in the oceans.
Born out of Aktè – Laboratorio del mare, a project curated by Spazi Fotografici in which ISMAR is a partner, and officially presented on Sunday, August 9, at CAMeC—the Center for Modern and Contemporary Art in La Spezia—this photographic exhibition has transformed the devices used for years by researchers at ISMAR, INGV, and CNR-IFC to track the paths of waste flowing out of rivers such as the Arno, Tiber, and Magra. The artist, Fabrizio Bellomo, has transformed them into large photographic images measuring 6 meters by 2, enlarging them and bringing them out of the laboratories to place them in public spaces. This change in scale transforms scientific objects into eye-catching elements capable of sparking reflection on marine pollution.
During the presentation at CAMeC, the project was discussed by researchers Silvia Merlino of CNR-ISMAR and Marina Locritani of INGV. Among the key figures in the research was also Marco Paterni of CNR-IFC in Pisa.
La Spezia Mayor Pierluigi Peracchini, attending the exhibition’s opening, highlighted how the project successfully brings art, science, and environmental awareness into dialogue, drawing the public’s attention to the work of research institutes and the consequences of waste disposal at sea. The “Vagabondi” thus serve as a kind of sounding board for scientific research and, at the same time, a call to action regarding an increasingly urgent issue: the health of the sea.
The installation will remain on display in the streets of La Spezia until September 7, 2026.
For more information:
Silvia Merlino
silvia.merlino@cnr.it
