Campanologia Bologna

Campanologia is an itinerant project by artist Emma Smith exploring the ancient communication system of church bells.

Campanologia Bologna is the first Italian episode of the project originally conceived at Wysing Arts Centre in 2011 for the village of Bourn, near Cambridge, UK. Campanologia is a sonic rendering of the landscape through a process of mathematical and geographical transcriptions of traditional bell scores.

For Campanologia Bologna the artist has created a sonic map of the city of Bologna that takes 4 intersecting journeys across the city dictated by the mathematics of traditional Bolognesi ringing methods. These scores will be rung on the bells of 4 towers as a performance work across the city’s historical centre.

On the evening of 30 August 2013, the bells of San Bartolomeo, San Giacomo Maggiore e Ss. Gregorio e Siro will play in unison at 7.45pm, followed by the ringing in Cattedrale di San Pietro at 9pm. Smith’s performance for Bologna is inspired by the traditional ringing methods of Bologna which the artist has learnt through working closely with the Unione Campanari Bolognesi (Bologna’s main bell ringers group).

Campanologia Bologna is curated by Stella Bottai and Marta Papini with the advice of Professor Fabrizio Lollini of the History of Medieval Art at Bologna University, and thanks to Unione Campanari Bolognesi. It is produced by Bottega Bologna with the support of Comune di Bologna, the British Council and Fondazione Paleotti-Isolani.