Plumes of smoke from an active volcano welcome visitors to Stromboli, a remote scrap of land off the North coast of Sicily. This rumbling beast never sleeps, making the island – the fabled seat of Aeolus, Greek ruler of the winds – feel like the edge of the world.

Just 500 people live on Stromboli, made famous by Roberto Rossellini’s 1949 film of the same name. But despite the volcano’s threatening presence, it has long attracted an artistic crowd. Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović lived here for five years, and Italian artists Giovanni Anselmo and Mimmo Paladino also made it their home.

Since 2011, Stromboli has played host to an annual art and music festival, Volcano Extravaganza. This free public event is presented by Fiorucci Art Trust, which invites a cohort of creatives from across the world to harness the raw power of nature.
Our sister brand The Vinyl Factory made the annual pilgrimage to the festival earlier this month. For the second year running, it curated the music programme, enlisting the talents of Icelandic musician Ragnar Kjartansson, DJ, artist and poet Juliana Huxtable and electronic duo Tempers, who wrote lyrics inspired by the island.
In this photo essay, The Vinyl Factory’s Michael Wilkin leads us on a tour of the Stromboli landscape, its white-washed villas – including Abramović’s former home – and one the world’s most remote music venues: Club Mega.

The only way to reach Stromboli is by boat across the tempestuous Tyrrhenian Sea. Spot the looming volcano in the distance… Photography: Michael Wilkin

We made the choppy journey with Icelandic musician (and Vinyl Factory collaborator) Ragnar Kjartansson, pictured as the boat ploughs through the Strait of Messina

Volcano Extravaganza is hosted in outdoor settings and villas across the island, including the private homes of local Strombolians. Pictured are the gardens surrounding Marina Abramović’s former home, which now belongs to Fiorucci Art Trust

Abramović’s old home played host to a group exhibition brought together by this year’s Volcano Extravaganza curator, artist Camille Henrot

Henrot chose the theme of I Will Go Where I don’t Belong for the festival, exploring the sense of alienation from their environments experienced by immigrants and exiles. The group show inside Abramović’s former villa included works by Mike Nelson, Isola e Norzi, Walter Sutin and Vinyl Factory collaborator Rachel Rose

Hernot’s mural of waves and mythical characters are overlaid with photos from line-crossing ceremonies and shipwrecks

Installation view inside the villa

The Abramović house was built to endure extreme Mediterranean temperatures and the constant seismic activity, hence the thick walls and minimal windows

A shaded spot in the garden

A colourful Stromboli alleyway

Due to the narrow streets and steep topography of the island, the only modes of transport are golf carts or motorini

A snapshot from a new music video featuring electronic duo Tempers on Stromboli

Tempers perform live during Volcano Extravaganza, taking inspiration from the island for their lyrics

A defunct pier points towards Isola di Strombolicchio – a stack of volcanic rock off the coast of Stromboli itself

A picturesque setting for a basketball court


NYC poet, artist and DJ Julianna Huxtable warms up the crowd at Club Mega for The Vinyl Factory’s Afro Disco Party

The international art community joins locals at the club

Artist Ragnar Kjartansson performs at Club Mega, drawing on the perimeter of the island to create a musical voyage that explores themes of isolation

San Bartolomeo church, Stromboli

Colourful local architecture

Guests gather at La Lunatica for a poetry reading and to view an installation by artist Yona Friedman

Past Volcano Extravaganza curator and Vinyl Factory collaborator Haroon Mirza

Streets brimming with bougainvillea

Our (mini) chariot awaits

A rare site on Stomboli, this red lorry brilliantly juxtaposed the dominant blue and green of the island

A ship docks metres from Stromboli shore to refuel

Farewell Stromboli. Until next time…