ARCHIPELAGO
A life-long research project documenting the cultural diversity of the Mediterranean islands.
The Project Initiated in 2018, Archipelago is a comprehensive, 50-year research and documentation endeavor focused on the insular landscapes of the Mediterranean Sea. The project analyzes the evolution of the built environment and cultural heritage across these geographically defined contexts, highlighting the intricate relationships among local architecture, the natural environment, and social practices. By 2028, the primary objective is to complete the comprehensive mapping of all Italian islands, utilizing a multidisciplinary approach that includes photography, videography, and cartography.
Since 2024, the project has been promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Context and Methodology Observing the Mediterranean archipelagos—from the Pelagie to the Cyclades, the Aeolian to the Pontine Islands—reveals a profound diversity in geography, resources, and historical evolution. Dwelling on an island necessitates finding an equilibrium between sea and land. This relationship is deeply reflected in the local houses, where settlement morphology and architectural typology become direct manifestations of cultural identity.
During the second half of the twentieth century, many Mediterranean islands pivoted almost exclusively toward mass tourism. This economic shift frequently led to the abandonment of traditional productive realities and, consequently, their unique cultural identities. Historical examples, such as Elba’s ancient iron extraction industry or Favignana’s world-renowned tuna fisheries (innovated by the Florio family), demonstrate how deeply local production was tied to the natural context. Today, these socio-economic pillars have often been diminished, relegated to museums while the islands are predominantly perceived merely as scenic landscapes and clear waters for seasonal visitors.
Archipelago proposes a critical re-reading of these territories. It seeks to uncover and record the resilient cultural identities of these islands, transforming their geographical isolation into a lens through which to study sustainable development, architectural adaptation, and active conservation.
ISLANDS COVERED (as of 2026)
Italy
Egadi Archipelago: Favignana
Aeolian Archipelago: Stromboli
Maddalena Archipelago: Maddalena
Pelagie Archipelago: Lampedusa, Linosa
Pantelleria Island
Campan Archipelago: Ischia
Pontine Archipelago: Ponza, Palmarola
Tuscan Archipelago: Capraia, Elba, Montecristo, Gorgona
Malta
Maltese Islands: Malta, Gozo
Greece
Cycladic Islands: Milos, Sifnos, Serifos
Sporades Archipelago: Alonissos, Skiathos, Skopelos
Dodecanese Archipelago: Kos, Patmos
Croatia
Kornati Islands: Kornat, Zut, Dugi Otok
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2026
CULTURAS INSULARES June 2 - end of the summer, Italian Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil
ABITARE INSULARE May 20 - June 10, Cultural Center Maritime Casino, Burgas, Bulgaria
ISOLARIA December 9, 2025 - January 23, 2026, Villa La Perla (Lussinpiccolo, Croatia)
2025
CULTURAS INSULARES UFPA Museum November 11-December 3, 2025 in occasion of the COP30. Curated by Joåo Kulcsar.(Belem, Brazil)
CULTURAS INSULARES November 9 in occasion of the COP30. Curated by Joåo Kulcsar, FotoAtiva (Belem, Brazil)
CULTURAS INSULARES August 9 - September 30, Arsenal da Esperança de Såo Paulo (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
CULTURAS INSULARES September 13-14, 2025. Curated by Joåo Kulcsar. Festival de Fotografia de Paranapiacaba (Paranapiacaba, Brazil)
ABITARE INSULARE September 28 - November 18, Ambasciata d'Italia Bulgaria, Italian Institute of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
APPRODI June 28 - September 30, ZAI Zhong Art International, Loggia Association, Florence, Italy
CULTURAS INSULARES May 22 - July 31, Festival de Fotografia de Sao Paulo and Italian Institute of Culture, Sao Paulo, Brazil (Extended!)
SALSEDINE | SJØLUFT April 24 - end of the summer, Italian Institute of Culture, Oslo, Norway
ISOLARIA February 20 - March 16 Vukovar Municipal Museum, Eltz Castle, Vukovar, Croatia
IN-BETWEEN January 30 - March 19 Italian Institute of Culture, Munich, Germany (Extended!)
2024
ISOLE RELOAD September 5 - October 2 Italian Institute of Culture, Warsaw, Poland
WLOSKIE WYSPY April 9 - May 3 Italian Institute of Culture, Cracow, Poland (Extended!)
2023
MONTECRISTO Since September permanently in Farm Cultural Park, Mazzarino, Italy
ITALIAN ISLANDS Feb. 2 - June 2 Italian Institute of Culture, Cologne, Germany
2022
ITALIAN ISLANDS June 8 - Sept. 16 Italian Institute of Culture, Montreal, Canada (Extended!)
2021
ITALIAN ISLANDS Dec. 15 - March 30 Italian Institute of Culture, Hamburg, Germany (Extended!)
MONTECRISTO The Room Contemporary Art Space, Venice, Italy
TEAM past and present
Concept, research, texts and photographs Corinna Del Bianco
Exhibitions design Corinna Del Bianco, Costanza Leoni, Myrto Gatou, Spencer Nash, Noora Alhashimi, Marta Marini
Maps Costanza Leoni, Myrto Gatou, Marta Marini
Book layout Myrto Gatou (2021), Corinna Del Bianco, Marta Marini
Crowdfunding campaign Spencer Nash ( Indiegogo Crowdfunding Campaign 2021)
Supporters Paola Barlacchi, Andrea Bartoli, Giada Bonatti, Stefano Bono, Mattia Bravin, Gianluca Cabula, Eléonore Clavel, Serena D’Andrea, Giovanna Dani, Lida David, Carlotta Del Bianco, Caterina Del Bianco, Paolo Del Bianco, Nicoletta Di Blasi, Tim Fairhurst, Elena Fioretto, Alessandro Frigerio, Simona Galateo, Stefano Gambacciani, Nikos Gatos, Nadia Gatto, Lorenzo Enrico Nicola Giorgi, Niki Kalogeraki, Evamili Lagounari, Sergio Leone, Costanza Leoni, Stefano Marinelli, Marta Marini, Marco Monico, Sabrina Morreale, Colin Nash, Heather Nash, Stephen Nash, Sara Niewiejska, Patrick Ormsby, Francesca Pandolfi, Grace Pappas, Maria Chiara Pastore, Ulas Polat, Simone Privitera, Florinda Saieva, Bruno Sardine, Livia Shamir, Hara Sklika, Vanessa Spaziani, Carlos Suárez-Kilzi, Argyro Tagkopoulou, Laura Taraian, Cosimo Torsoli, Katerina Tsaoutou, Hoshino Tsuji, Namiko Yamauchi, Anja Zugcic