In Memory of Gino Locaputo: An Aristocrat of the Spirit by Carlo Coppola
articolo apparso in lingua italiana su "La Fiaccola" giornale diretto da Paolo Scagliarini.
The world of Italian and Mediterranean culture and art has lost one of its most eclectic and profound souls with the death of Gino Locaputo, a man who dedicated his life to art, literature and, above all, to promoting dialogue between East and West. Poet, actor, director and writer, Locaputo was able to blend his passion for creativity with a vision of the world strongly influenced by the East, enriched by a constant commitment to intercultural dialogue starting from artistic expressions. Locaputo, born in Conversano in 1953, had been a non-commissioned officer in the Air Force, and crossed the world between two eras in which art experienced radical transformations, but he was able to keep alive the bond with tradition, integrating it with the influences he absorbed during his life. His love for the East, a bond that has marked all his works and all his artistic choices, dates back to his early years, when he was lucky enough to meet Hrand Nazariantz, a great Armenian poet and intellectual, who lived in Puglia and for some years also in Conversano. Nazariantz's thought, which represented a refined synthesis between Western and Eastern culture, was the first seed that led Locaputo to approach those ancient traditions, those spiritual and philosophical principles that would shape his existence. Together with shreds of poems, photographs, sweets, Nazariantz breathed a new Spirit into him, perhaps difficult to bear for such a young child of less than six years old. Yet Nazariantz saw in him a hope for his East and felt he had to entrust him with tradition, like a breath of life. In turn, Gino Locaputo constituted a further means to take Nazariantz's teachings even further, thanks to his meeting with Cosma Cafueri, founder and first director of the "Hrand Nazariantz Study Center". Cafueri, a lover of the arts and studies on photography and natural sciences, welcomed Locaputo's suggestions with enthusiasm, giving the poet a leading role in the dissemination of oriental culture in Italy.
If there is one aspect that made Gino Locaputo an extraordinary man, in addition to his artistic production, it was his constant commitment to dialogue between cultures of the world. In an era marked by international conflicts and tensions, Locaputo always believed that art could be a powerful means to break down ideological barriers and promote understanding between peoples and points of view. This belief led him, over the years, to create and direct the "Mediterranean Festival", a cultural event that had the aim of bringing the different traditions of the Mediterranean basin into dialogue, in an open and constructive comparison, in places that had a deep East and West flavour. This event under his direction became a symbol of hope and commitment to peace, without parades, flags or frills and ideological symbols of a party. The event, which saw the participation of artists, intellectuals and activists from all over the world, was not only a festival of art and culture, but also a platform to discuss crucial issues such as human rights, international cooperation, and the fight against social injustice. Locaputo, with his profound vision and his spirit of synthesis between cultures, was able to transform each edition of the festival into a unique opportunity for spiritual growth and reflection on the fate of peoples, especially those who did not find space in the nation-state paradigm.
But Locaputo's commitment to peace was not limited to the cultural sphere. His thoughts and words were aimed above all at the education of new generations, so that they could learn to live in a more just and fair world, where respect for oneself and for one's neighbor were shared values. His work was intended as a tool to sensitize people to the need for understanding others, an invitation to overcome divisions and embrace an idea of concrete brotherhood. In light of all this, it is not surprising that the figure of Gino Locaputo can be described as that of an “aristocrat of the spirit”, a term that, far from any elitist aspect, recalls the idea of a man who has dedicated his life to the search for beauty, truth and peace. Like the great masters of the past, who did not seek worldly recognition but rather the improvement of the human soul, Locaputo was able to combine his passion for art with a profound vision of life, uniting the rigor of tradition with open-mindedness. In a contemporary cultural panorama, often dominated by individualism and superficiality, Gino Locaputo is unique. His ability to merge aesthetic research with spiritual research has made him an example of how the art can not only be a means of expression, but also a form of ethical and civil commitment. Locaputo, with his indomitable spirit and his passion for the encounter of cultures, will remain a reference figure for all those in Absolute Art as the Art of encounter.
Gino Locaputo, with his death leaves us a void, but also an inestimable wealth: that of someone who knew how to be a true aristocrat of the spirit, in the manner of the old masters, and who dedicated his life to teaching the importance of living with dignity, beauty and, above all, indomitable peace.
