"A dimora" means placing a plant in the soil permanently. This is what the LAMA organisation is trying to do in the small town of Londa, in the Montagna Fiorentina, Italy. With the first artistic residency in the region, LAMA aims to contribute to local regeneration with a cultural base.
Each year a different number of artists are invited to Londa to create a work that consolidates the relationship between the urban and natural environment and the people who experience it (inhabitants and visitors), in order to restore a cultural identity of the place that is strengthened and shared. A dimora is a platform for free expression, economic support and the expansion of the artists' network. It is also a physical space for work and research. Two editions of the residency program have already taken place, and the people of Lama are working feverishly on the third.
We met Martina Aiazzi Mancini, the curator of the project, and she told us more about it. "The residency encourages research processes and interaction with the community, promoting shared experiences through artistic practices," says Martina. "The program also facilitates access to the natural and cultural heritage and the social fabric of the territory, promoting encounters with local professionals and experts, enriching conversation and research. The residency period includes meetings, open studios and other activities to support each artist's research, strengthening the exchange of knowledge, skills and reflections," she added. In the first edition of A dimora, four artists were hosted in Londa and developed their creative ideas. The second edition hosted three artists. 
In the summer of 2023, Luca Boffi (Alberonero), Agnese Banti, Simone Carraro and Iacopo Seri lived in the town of Londa, in the Montagna Fiorentina, with the aim of creating a work in dialogue with the town and the surrounding nature. Agnese Banti created a sound installation for the clock tower of Londa. She composed and performed a "stornelli" that spread through the village at the stroke of every hour. Luca Boffi (Alberonero) created a performance that brought together the neighbouring communities of Londa and Castagneto in the ritual of bread-making. In an old quarry, Simone Carraro created quartz paintings on stone, transformed into new symbols. Iacopo Seri composed and performed Sinfonia n.1 per voci e foresta as a tribute to the relationship between the village of Londa and nature.
In the summer of 2024, Arianna Pace, Tommaso Mannucci (Monograff) and
Ornella Cardillo tried to portray the territory of the Montagna
Fiorentina through their own eyes and practices. Arianna Pace involved
the local community and created a garden in a previously abandoned area
to manifest the coexistence with the wild. Tommaso Mannucci (Monograff),
thanks to a continuous exchange with the community, and especially with
its youngest members, created an artwork in a passageway that connects
the riverside area to the main square. Ornella Cardillo's, inspired by
the ancient analogue lighting practices of the town, has created a
sculptural element that has become a house of speech, containing songs,
anecdotes and wishes."Londa has about 1,200 inhabitants. In a project like this, it makes sense to maintain a relationship of trust with the local people, and for the artistic creations to be inspired by the specificities and needs of the place, and to cultivate participatory practices," says Martina. "For example, the space that Arianna Pace transformed into a garden with the residents was suggested by the local authorities because it was a problematic, ugly space and the municipality asked if something could be done with it," says the A dimora curator. 
The artistic residency is firmly based on the principles of sustainability and ecology. The project connects people with nature in the vicinity of the Rincine Forest, Italy's first model forest community, promotes sustainable management, and supports sustainable tourism by combining heritage, culture and nature to attract mindful visitors. In addition, the artists are taking a collaborative approach and boosting the local economy by using public services, supporting local businesses and celebrating community crafts.
"What we have learnt so far," concludes Martina, "is that artistic residencies should not be seen as a mere tool to solve problems, but rather as a way to approach them from a different angle, to rethink, to rejoice and to start anew".
For the 2025 edition, A dimora's main objectives are twofold: To strengthen the project's relationship with the local community. To strengthen A dimora's position in the artistic panorama. 
A dimora is part of Future DiverCities, a European project funded by the Creative Europe Programme, which aims to develop new cultural and environmental interventions for the reuse of urban and rural spaces that have been abandoned or have lost their original function. LAMA is a social enterprise that has been active for about 18 years, supporting organizations and entities in processes of territorial and urban transformation and regeneration with a focus on sustainability. On December 23rd LAMA will launch the open call for the third edition of A dimora. Anyone interested can find information about the Open Call on the website www.adimora.xyz. The expected impact of Future DiverCities is to change the approach to cultural regeneration, including the role of the artist as a key actor for social and civic change.
--
Photos credit: Luisa Costa,
Photo credit (man with tools): Eleonora Saviozzi
