by InTrieste
From June 6 to 15, the Castle of San Giusto in Trieste hosted BRAT – Brother, a traveling art installation by Davide Comelli, curated by La Cappella Underground. The installation was inspired by a 1968 speech delivered by Italian poet Giuseppe Ungaretti when he received an honorary degree in literature from the University of Trieste.
Ungaretti, who experienced World War I firsthand on the Carso front, used his speech to reflect on the shared humanity of enemies in war. He portrayed the “enemy” as simply another person in a different uniform, turning his personal wartime experience into a universal message about peace and brotherhood.
Comelli’s installation invited visitors to actively engage with the theme of peace, emphasizing that peace requires warmth and closeness among people. Rather than being passive observers, visitors were encouraged to participate in building the meaning of peace.
The installation had previously been displayed at two other key World War I sites: Gorizia (May 5–11) and San Martino del Carso (May 17–25).
The Trieste event was organized by La Cappella Underground in partnership with the City of Trieste’s Department of Culture and Tourism and the Museum of the Castle of San Giusto. It was supported by the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region and the University of Trieste. Audio excerpts from Ungaretti’s original 1968 speech were featured as part of the installation, sourced from the archives of Italian broadcaster RAI.
BRAT – Brother was exhibited in the museum entrance hall of the Castle of San Giusto and was accessible during regular museum hours, included in the castle’s admission ticket.
