AESON began in 2008 along the Isonzo River in Northeast Italy, born from a need to pair scientific
nature narratives with human, empathetic storytelling through art. It has since grown into a long-term
land art and environmental art platform that reflects deep emotional ties between people and the
landscape, inviting creatives to rethink how we see, feel and live within a territory.
Rooted in the river’s ecosystem and cultural layers, AESON is more than a festival: it is a living
cultural process. Artists, researchers and local communities co-create site-specific works that emerge
from time spent in place, careful observation and dialogue with ecological and social rhythms. The
project encourages engagement with the land as a co-author, fostering works made with natural
materials that evolve, decay and return to the environment—embracing impermanence as a vital
philosophical and ecological principle.
Over nearly two decades, AESON has developed a distinctive experience in land art grounded in local
identity while dialoguing with broader cultural and ecological themes. It has curated hundreds of
environmental art works and performances that not only reveal hidden narratives of the Isonzo
landscape but also connect with traditional craftsmanship, rural knowledge and seasonal life cycles.
Rather than producing monuments, AESON seeds processes that generate continuity, shared vision and
emotional alliances between people and place.
As a community experience, AESON involves families, schools, residents, creative practitioners,
naturalists and cultural operators in workshops, guided walks, discussions and collective practices.
This inclusive approach transforms art into a catalyst for ecological awareness, local engagement and
a renewed sense of belonging.
The AESON festival generally takes place during the third week of July at the Isonzo Park in Fiumicello (Udine). Throughout the year, it hosts land art works and specific events in other locations in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
Country: IT Italy - Localisation: Fiumicello Villa Vicentina - Email: aesonfestival@gmail.com - Website - Facebook - Instagram
