Le petit tour; Castellabate Cilento.
The historic center of Castellabate is a small medieval, southern
Italian village perched on a hill of the Cilento Mountains; this
charming ancient parish grew around a castle built in 1123 which served
to protect its inhabitants against the Saracens and discourage them from invading.
Almost a thousand years have passed and our small commune was being
advertised in German newspapers with the slogan: "Castellabate: village
for individualists".
An abandoned newspaper left on a train between Forchheim and Erlangen
featuring that advertisement for Castellabate was by sheer chance picked
up by a passenger; namely by Harald Winter. Not much later he found his
way to Castellabate.
But Harald Winter is not just an 'individualist', rather he can be described
as one of the most generous and altruistic individuals I have ever
known.
Castellabate is not a village that snubs newcomers, rather it is a rural
community that welcomes and unites dwellers. Each day, in the central
'Piazza' Norwegians, Brazilians, Americans and Danes mingle enjoying the
handmade granite crafted by Aniello. People from all walks of life and
differing backgrounds shop at Mimi´s shop, chatting to Joanna the
greengrocer, or they carry their empty gas cylinder to Peppe`s shop for
a refill. Everyone is trying to be understood, with gestures, words, or
more often with big smiles.
Be it a regular or rare visitor, all are seeking to enter this unique
social fabric with the awareness that a genuine shared bond is the
secret to serenity and happiness.
But what attracts the Danish designer, the Dutch director, the Italian
architect and the Norwegian professor or even the German artist? Is it
the crystal clear seas and the stunning beauty of the southern Italian
landscape that draws them or is there something else? Harald Winter in
his works certainly explores this "something else" and by doing so he
ventures deep into the heart of the Cilento.
This "something" is resting in the soul of the Cilento, hidden in
wrinkled faces, callused hard working hands, echoed in the gnarled roots
of the olive trees, discovered in two gas cylinders now abandoned and
buried by brambles, concealed in the wheelbarrow of Carminuccio or in
Costabile the deaf-mute and in Gennaro the village constable.
Harald Winter through his drawings investigates these subjects capturing
their tales, voices, and whispered confidences. Through the eyes of one
who is not born and raised in the Cilento he is able to read and draw
out a history of everything, even unearthing the soul of inanimate and
abandoned objects.
This exhibition of works by Harald Winter, similar to Castellabate
brings together different cultures on the neutral soil of Switzerland
within a building that stands for cultural diversity and peace; namely
the United Nations. This international feel is perpetuated by a show of
works created by a German artist, represented by a UK gallery and
promoted by an Italian Consulate. The beauty of visual art lies in the
fact that it speaks all languages and defies all borders whether local
or international.
And so we come back to Castellabate, a small town full of corners,
arcades and labyrinth stairways that grew around its ancient castle,
which served the people as refuge from raids. This village born to
discourage enemy assaults has after hundreds of years become a
municipality that opens its welcoming arms and has grown into a symbol
of integration, arts and peace.
This small town has achieved in an infinitesimal way what has always
been the objective of the United Nations: Integration, unity and peace.
The sharing of unconditional love and kinship are the strengths of this
community and of hundreds of similar communities across Italy.
Maybe we can think of these small towns as infinitesimal United Nations
Headquarters.
Amedeo Colella
