dallorizzonte

Dallorizzonte is a term used in Italian art and media criticism to describe a conceptual approach that treats the horizon as a central motif rather than merely a background. It emphasizes perception at the edge of the frame and seeks to blend natural and built space with memory and future possibility. The phrase derives from dall’orizzonte, literally meaning “from the horizon.”

The term has appeared in essays, exhibition texts, and artist statements since the early 21st century, particularly in debates about landscape, mobility, and planetary thinking. It is used to characterize works that invite viewers to extend the frame, whether through panoramic formats, multi-panel installations, or temporally extended shots, creating a sense of space that feels ongoing beyond the visible.

Practices associated with dallorizzonte often include wide-angle compositions, long-duration or slow-burn imaging, and the integration of multiple vantage points to suggest layered or contested spaces. In film and video, it can resemble long takes or composite panoramas, with sounds and textures that imply hinterland or afterimage spaces beyond the screen.

Critics note that the term is still evolving and can be applied across varied contexts, from formal analysis of composition to metaphorical discussions of globalization, climate, and memory. Some see it as a productive heuristic that reveals how viewers experience space, while others caution that it can be a diffuse label when overextended.

See also: horizon, landscape art, panorama, liminal space, spatial perception.