Perpetuum Potentino is an artist residency launched by Kunstverein Ludwigshafen in partnership with Friends of Potentino. Each year, an invited artist lives and works for a month at the castle, exploring its Etruscan, medieval, and contemporary histories, surrounding landscape, and local knowledge. The residency, inspired by the concept of perpetuum mobile, fosters continuous artistic exchange. Find out more about the partnership here.

The first resident, Monilola Olayemi Ilupeju, a Nigerian-American artist and writer based in Berlin, works across painting, writing, performance, and installation, exploring intimacy, violence, healing, and cultural identity, often using natural surfaces imbued with their own histories.

Professor Nicola Camerlenghi (Associate Professor of the History of Architecture at Dartmouth), and his team will return to continue their research on medieval architecture, with a particular focus on historic religious edifices. During this phase of the project, we hope to start the excavations of the Franciscan convent of the Colombaio, located above the castle.

This is a Potentino Exploration Project collaboration with Dartmouth College to save a very special thirteenth-century Franciscan convent.

Find out more about the project.

Continuation of the “smell report” by Susan Barbour, this year accompanied by Michael Nordstand, an academic perfumer and founder of Mythologist Studio, to capture Potentino’s unique biodiversity, contributing to an illustrated olfactory field guide. This year, we will be looking at medieval medicinal plants and scents in the valley.

Find out more about the collaboration.

In 2026, Erika Comina’s interviews and photographs of the valley’s older generation will culminate in a book published by Potentino Press, accompanied by an exhibition of the photographs. Supported by Friends of Potentino, the project preserves local memory while engaging both local and international audiences, emphasizing the importance of documenting lived experiences to sustain cultural identity in communities at risk of disappearing.

Exploration continues in the area above the castle, with several sites proposed for excavation. Dr. Gregory Warden (SMU) and Professor Phil Perkins (The Open University) will return with students to investigate potential archaeological sites.

Lucas continues The Denizens Project with Part 3 of his live nature documentary of the Potentino Valley, incorporating expanded laser work and bioacoustic recordings to raise awareness of—and advocate for—the valley’s living landscape. See how Part 2 went when projected across the valley at On The Walls Documentary Festival last August.

Former volunteer and artist behind the castle’s cosmological ceiling, Karen continues her research into the valley’s fauna through a large-scale botanical mural in the castle chapel. As the chapel is increasingly used for courses, residencies, lectures, and dining, the mural will serve as both an educational resource and a living reminder of Potentino’s ecosystem.

This year, we aim to publish three books with Potentino Press around the FILO project and beyond:

1. Cultural Heritage Memories – a compilation of the stories and photos Erika has collected aronud the FILO project.

2. Archaeology of the Area – commentary on Prof. Phil Perkins’ and Dr. Greg Warden’s research on the Seggiano valley.

3. About Dionysus – showcasing the research of ex-volunteer Thomas Brisotw on the history and nature of Dionysus.

Our volunteer program will continue to engage around 30 young people from across the world. It plays a vital role in expanding the Friends of Potentino network while supporting land conservation and agricultural and cultural heritage education through hands-on work at the castle and in the valley.

“In just four weeks, I grew through meaningful work, true hospitality, and friendships built by working together.” Tommy, USA

“My time at Potentino affirmed the importance of our relationship with the land, and the creativity and responsibility it inspires.” Moineau, Canada

The castle’s documentary festival returns for its sixth edition, continuing its growing popularity within the local community. FOP funding ensures the festival remains free and accessible, bringing contemporary global issues to a rural area with limited access to cinemas and cultural programming. See last year’s lineup featuring Oscar-winning documentary feature film No Other Land.

In collaboration with Taxon Expeditions, this project documents the biodiversity of the Potentino Valley. The Taxon team will return in spring to complete the final phase of their pollination resilience research at Potentino. As part of this work, they will also organise a Taxon Expedition at the castle, bringing 1–2 students to conduct fieldwork. This research will generate critical data on ecosystem resilience and the valley’s unique habitats.

Alongside the scientific research, we will share Komarnica, a Taxon documentary about a remote valley in Montenegro—largely untouched by human activity and now under threat from dam construction—at the 2026 Documentary Film Festival. Although the Potentino Valley has a long history of human settlement, it presents striking ecological and landscape parallels with the Montenegrin valley.

Master’s students from around the world studying arts and culture management return to Potentino for an immersive rural case study in association with Bocconi, HEC Montreal and SMU. Using Friends of Potentino as a working model, students explore the dynamics of arts development and present their findings to site leadership. See more from the last cohort’s week at Potentino here. This is a fantastic partnership as it not only brings fresh, altruistic ideas to the castle to help FOP, but places FOP alongside leading universities globally.

Leen Jammalieh presented the results of her Pollinators of Potentino Valley project at a scientific conference in the Netherlands. She continues to look into the resilience of the Potentino ecosystem and its services, and how these may change in the future.

Noortje Looijenga’s conducted a comparative study on insect pollinators, providing crucial insights for conservation efforts. Hear her findings for yourself here.

During her residency, New Zealand’s Georgie Johnson was inspired to create Antechambers, blending figurative abstraction, literature, and poetry to capture Potentino’s essence. She shared, “It is a privilege to be a small part of the Potentino project. It is an experience shaped by all who engage with it and, in turn, shapes you.”

Rose Ommering created an interactive app exploration of Potentino Valley’s diverse flora and fauna. See the developed app here.

In 2024, we welcomed volunteers from New Zealand, Russia, the Netherlands, the U.S., the UK, Germany, and beyond. Their experiences highlight the impact of this program:

“What my body gained in muscle and stamina, my mind gained in grounding, reconnection to the soil, the trees, and sustenance.” – Will, New Zealand

“It brought me back to myself as I realised how little you need to be happy. I want to stay mindful of the sovurce of my food and connect more with nature.” – Tijo, The Netherlands

Ex-volunteer now Oxford student Phoebe Reid, investigated the role of biodiversity in controlling the olive fruit fly pest, reinforcing the value of rewilding for pest control, pollination, and natural beauty.

Lucas Gutierrez – Lucas transformed the vineyards into an artistic canvas with Denizens, the world’s first multimedia installation that translates the frequencies of Potentino’s vines into visual art. See for yourself.

Susan Barbour – Conducted a two-week “smell report” to capture Potentino’s unique biodiversity, contributing to an illustrated olfactory field guide. Here is the story so far.

Led by Dr. Greg Warden, archaeology students continued their research into Potentino’s cultural treasures. Find out more about this ongoing partnership.

Antechambers by Georgie Johnson – a photographic documentation and celebration of works created during Georgie’s residency at the Castello di Potentino.

The fourth edition of Potentino’s documentary festival featured eight compelling documentaries on topics such as otherness, environmental advocacy, and inspiring women. The festival also premiered Lucas Gutierrez’s Denizens project, a visual spectacle projected across Potentino’s vines.

A series of mini-documentaries on Friends of Potentino by Dean and Ewgeniya Lyras highlighting the projects, people and activities at the castle.

Masters in International Arts Management students spent a week at Potentino, exploring rural arts development within an ancient Etruscan site. Their Potentino case studies were presented to Charlotte and the week turned out to be incredibly mutually beneficial.

Our FOP online auction raised $12,145 in smaller donations, essential for diversifying FOP’s funding sources.