Sotto le Pietre, il Sale

Some myths appear in multiple declinations in civilisations distant from each other, evolving through the centuries taking different names, symbols, shapes, rituals. The myth of a creature half-fish half-human, who comes from the sea to share knowledge of technology and to reveal secrets of science and arts to mankind, occurs in many narrations and representations, from Ancient Greece, to China, and Mali, evoked under the name of Oannes, Nüwa and Nommo, among others.
“Sotto le Pietre il Sale” pays homage to the relationship between humans and sea creatures, to that everlasting bond built through the labour of traditional fishing practice, that is passed down as much in necessity as in respect. A relationship made of daily productive activities, that nevertheless resonate a much deeper and sacred echo, recalling ancient rituals and gestures. The work looks beyond the economy of tuna, to build a fictional narration that transforms the gestures of the fishermen into a summoning for the mythological creature, waiting for its return from the sea to reveal more secrets and prophecies, mocking the restless human search for progress and prosperity.
The project is entirely shot in the Tonnara dell’Isola Piana di Carloforte, south-west of Sardinia, one of the few remaining active tuna fishing plants in the Mediterranean Sea, where the tuna is still caught using a traditional method that’s been passed generation after generation. During the months of May until July, an underwater system of nets is stretched 1km away from the coasts of the island, intercepting the migratory route of tunas that move to the warmer seas of the coasts of Northern Africa.