Transhumance: A Historical Ritual

In his performance and installation “Transumanza sonora”, Al Fadhil uses a golden goat bell to evoke a centuries-old ritual: the seasonal livestock drive, during which the animals are driven from the valley floor up to the high mountain pastures known as alps for the summer and back again for the winter. This practice, in harmony with nature and accompanied by the sound of bells, is now recognized as intangible cultural heritage.

For many generations, Alpine transhumance has set the rhythm for the warmer months in the Val Bregaglia. Traces of this old tradition can be found in a historical photograph by Fulvio Reto, the pseudonym of Agostino Fasciati, featuring a number of goats grazing high up in the mountains. The contrast between the snow-capped peaks in the background and the meadow enlivened by the animals in the foreground serves as a reminder of how closely people’s lives and work are linked to the cycle of nature: snowmelt makes the ascent to the alp possible, while the onset of cold weather heralds the return to the valley.