PRESS RELEASE – By Marysia Zipser, ACT

Beeston’s beautiful St John the Baptist Church hosted the spectacular Ghost Bus Night Show to a delighted audience.  It was truly a visual and musical arts immersive experience.

Roberto Alborghetti, Italian author, journalist, visual artist and official biographer to Pope Francis, came to Beeston, and Nottingham, for his 8th time since 2014 when he first set his eyes on the old rusty bus at Bartons Garage.  Roberto produced and presented a series of short videos including three new ones: the JCidel Collection of handbags created in USA and Italy taken from his macro photo images, shown at London, Paris & Miami Fashion/Art Weeks 2023;  Lacer/Actions in London Special Edition and BEESTON is ABSTRACTIVE, a video dedicated to Beeston 2014-2022.

The Ghost Bus project has been travelling around the world for 10 years.  It is part of Roberto’s Lacer/Actions multi disciplinary project which he started over 25 years ago concerning macrophotography (and street macrophotography) of decomposed and torn publicity posters, natural cracks and scratches, and urban/industrial tokens. 

Roberto also visited the Chilwel Garage again, where the Ghost Bus is parked, welcomed by Simon Barton and his son Richard. He also walked trough the new Barton Quarter, commenting in very positive terms on the building solution of the Georgian style housing unit built in Chilwel.

The event was directed and curated by Marysia Zipser – Art Culture Tourism, promoted by Visit Nottinghamshire and The Beestonian; supported by Broxtowe Borough Council, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Confetti Media Group, Nottingham Trent University, University of Nottingham, Jeanie Barton Music. After ten years of ACT, it was announced that Beeston is now the UK’s Art Culture Tourism Capital.

The Ghost Bus Night Show received numerous interesting comments. We present some of the many sent also through social networks.

“Being a budding photographer It was my pleasure to attend. I found the event fascinating, learning about Roberto’s work and his talent for transforming decay into abstract art, revealing the hidden beauty in everyday surfaces. The experience was further enhanced by the accompaniment of Jeanie Barton’s original music.  It really showed that there is beauty all around us, if we only opened our eyes more.”   – The Mayor of Broxtowe, Councillor Sue Paterson

“The Ghost Bus Night show was a great event, well done!  I was particularly impressed with your fashion designs and seeing your artworks on bags!  The music composed and recorded by Jeanie Barton-O’Shea in 3 of the videos was excellent.”  –  Marcus Gilmore, designer

“I always have been a creative person where through my love of photography, try to capture life through a different perspective, with an open mind to learn from others. When seeing Roberto’s artwork it provided a valuable insight into the mind of someone with a special eye for beauty, one that is actually being studied by scientists. Seeing Robertos creative projects in collaboration with my city of Nottingham was incredible. As well as seeing his strikingly beautiful artworks through a perspective I wouldn’t have picked up on, the stories behind them were inspiring for me”. – Andreas Avraam, Social Media Marketing Manager, Photographer, Copywriter, Content Creator

“So very interesting. The photos are beautiful. Really extraordinary eye for detail. I could see many images untold. Thank you.”  – Liezel Magill

“Congratulations, Roberto! A lovely evening with memories of my experiencing your first reaction, Roberto, to Bartons’ old bus where I and others first saw your fascination with the deteriorating surface and which you lated named The Ghostbus. Yesterday evening, it was great to see, once again, the journey you had been on, developing macro photography into fascinating visual imagery, made into short films; I, also, enjoyed seeing, for the first time, the film of your macro images as the J Cidel Collection – handbags shown in London, Paris & Miami Fashion Art Week 2023. One new film (special edition) that made a lasting impact on me, also, was LaceR/Actions in London, capturing abstracted imagery of the peeling posters on the underground, with its punchy accompanying music and intermittent visual and sound tracks of members of the public as they passed by, creating a real contemporary feel. I left the evening with the beautiful voice of Jeanie O’Shea (Barton) ringing in my ears and the variety of abstraction you had created, Roberto, from such simple source material. Thank you for an interesting evening and to Marysia Zipser, Simon Barton and all involved in the creation and organisation“, Pam Miller, artist

“I really enjoyed the evening!! Well done to all involved. There are some very creative people out there!” Lesley Grand-Scrutton 

“L’originalità e la perspicacia degli Alborghetti di Ambivere, oltre che con Enrico VII di Lussemburgo, che li ha fatti signori di Bergamo, con tutti I discendenti con il suo diploma storico del 29.07.1311, riprende terreno con te, grazie alla tua creatività e profondità umana. Bene!“, Maria Cristina Corti

“Bellissimo il progetto del Ghost Bus che rivive e viaggia ancora nelle “Lacer/azioni” di Roberto Alborghetti. Un vero ponte di cultura che unisce l’Italia alla Terra di Nottingham, ma anche a Byron, di cui Ravenna è sede della Italian Byron Society affiliata alla prestigiosa International Association of Byron Societies, che promuove in tutto il mondo la diffusione della cultura byroniana attraverso conferenze, dibattiti, eventi, mostre, borse di studio, ecc.“, Patrizia Poggi, organizzatrice e curatrice di eventi d’arte

“Thank for organizing this fantastic event. I love the talks, the videos and colous! Very interesting journey”. Carla Chiericallo

“Interesting and ispirational evening. Many thanks to Roberto, Jeanie and Marysia”. Wesley and Anne

“Very interesting perspectives! Thanks“. From The Guests Book

“Fabulous!“, Lulu and Silina, From The Guests Book

“Roberto’s talent lies in taking macro photographs of chipped paint, scratches, torn posters and splashes of paint and turns them into mini works of art. Look closely and they could be maps of strange lands. Mini multicoloured countries skimmed by unusual coloured seas. Earlier in the day he met up with Robin Hood and his bunch of outlaws near the castle and visited Britain’s oldest pub, the Trip to Jerusalem. Tomorrow he plans on visiting his old friend the Ghost Bus at Bartons bus depot in Chilwell…” Christopher Frost, From “The Beestonian” mag.

Marysia Zipser, Founder & ACT Ambassador
https://www.artculturetourism.co.uk/

Photos by Nigel King Photography, Christopher Frost, Marysia Zipser