On Sunday, June 29, 2025, from 7:30 to 8:30 PM, Giardino Radicioni (Fano) will host an unmissable event as part of Passaggi fra le Nuvole 2025: “Zodiac” with Elettra Stamboulis and Gianluca Costantini, in collaboration with RENCO SPA.
The evening brings together curator and screenwriter Elettra Stamboulis and cartoonist and graphic journalist Gianluca Costantini in conversation with comics critic Alessio Trabacchini about Zodiac (Oblomov Edizioni, 2024), Ai Weiwei’s graphic memoir that weaves together the richness of Chinese folklore with the personal story of one of today’s most influential—and provocative—artists.
At the heart of Zodiac are the twelve animals of the Chinese lunar calendar, each linked to a chapter in Ai Weiwei’s life and his reflections on power, freedom, and memory. Gianluca Costantini brings these tales to life with precise, delicate lines, while Elettra Stamboulis’s text unfolds in a narrative that feels both intimate and universal. One of the most moving episodes recounts Ai’s childhood in exile: to protect the scant grain his family managed to grow, he had to trap mice threatening their harvest—a memory that becomes a powerful metaphor for how those in power ensnare the vulnerable.
The book also devotes pages to Ai’s period of forced detention, his journey to study art in the United States, and his relationship with a father condemned to forced labor. As The New York Times notes, “Each chapter frames the artist’s take on traditional beliefs about the characteristics humans share with the 12 animals of the Chinese lunar calendar… Costantini’s intricate line drawings pair with Stamboulis’s comic‑bubble text to help expand Ai’s lifelong campaign for free expression to a new medium for a new generation.”
International critics have celebrated Zodiac as “poignant, meditative… a sage and inventive embroidery of philosophy, family memoir, and cultural history” (Publishers Weekly), while Kirkus Reviews praises how the book—also written for Ai’s young son—blends “manifesto and fairy tale,” even honoring the memory of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a passage that bridges past and present.
Join us at Giardino Radicioni to discover how this project—Stamboulis’s script and Costantini’s art—gives voice, through image and word, to one of the most powerful stories of artistic resistance and civic engagement of our time. Admission is free until capacity is reached.
Every summer, the medieval streets and sun‑drenched squares of Fano come alive with something truly special: the Paesaggi Festival. Imagine wandering through ancient alleyways as the scent of sea salt mingles with the buzz of conversation. That’s the magic of this event, where literature, music, art, and performance converge under the open sky.
Launched in 2015, Paesaggi (literally “Landscapes”) takes a single theme—water, forest, horizon—and unfolds it across every corner of the town. One year you might find a poet reading by the shimmering Adriatic at dusk; the next, a photo installation tucked into a hidden courtyard. The festival transforms the city itself into a stage, inviting locals and visitors alike to discover familiar places in unexpected ways.
Stroll past the historic Teatro della Fortuna and you might catch a free author talk; duck into the Loggia Amiani and hear an actor bring a modern myth to life. On sandy beaches, musicians tune their instruments for impromptu seaside concerts. Children join watercolor workshops under ancient arches, while adults explore sound‑painting sessions that turn the church cloisters into invisible concert halls.
What makes Paesaggi feel so warm is its generosity. Most events are free, held in simple chairs set up on cobblestones or grassy patches. Local cafés offer themed menus—think “Forest Feast” or “Saltwater Sips”—and nearby shops decorate their windows to echo the festival’s mood. There’s a real sense of community: everyone from grandparents to toddlers finds something to spark their curiosity.
By blending art with everyday life and placing creativity in public view, Paesaggi Festival reminds us that inspiration isn’t confined to gallery walls. In Fano, the landscape you thought you knew becomes a source of fresh stories and shared moments—proof that sometimes the greatest discoveries are right outside your door.
