Ghosts in the Field – Murray Ballard

A photographic exhibition by Murray Ballard exploring ecological and cultural change in Salento, southern Italy, shown in the Window Gallery.

Ghosts in the Field is Murray Ballard's photographic study of Salento in southern Italy, where ancient traditions collide with ecological crisis and modernity. Central to the work is the Xylella bacterial disease, which has destroyed more than 21 million olive trees and with them a centuries-old agricultural way of life. Built up over more than a decade of summer visits to his wife's family in Cocumola, the series reflects on generational shifts, tourism and the loss of rural culture, drawing on local folklore and mythology. The exhibition forms part of Photo Fringe 2026 and is open Wednesdays to Sundays, 12–5pm.