Massimo Gerardo Carrese - phantasiology/fantasiology

With Carrese's phantasiology we are educated to see things behind things and
to read signs, letters and surprising alphabets in the shape of the world.
M.E.M.O.RI. - Matera European Capital of Culture 2019

Massimo Gerardo Carrese (pictures of Paolo Martino, 2019)

Massimo Gerardo Carrese is a FANTASIOLOGIST and since 2006 he professionally deals with FANTASIOLOGY*. Over time he has given to FANTASIOLOGY an unprecedented methodological guise so that it could become an investigation tool to verify the complexities of thinking in relation to IMAGINATION, IMAGERY and CREATIVITY. Specifically, he identified the following key words to structure the interdisciplinary field of fantasiology: perception, association, imagination, fantasy, reverie, creativity, reality, deepened in his writings and meetings.

For Massimo Gerardo Carrese, fantasiology is the critical and analytical study of the scientific, humanistic, ludic and artistic aspects of imagination (the possible), imagery (mental images) and creativity (technique and originality). Imagination-imagery-creativity are the three essential words of fantasiology but to fully understand them it is necessary to study perception, association, daydream, reality.

Since 2006 he has been presenting his studies and research on fantasiology throughout Italy (also abroad, especially with his publications). He has written numerous works on the subject and presented various university, school and social meetings.

Since 2017 he has been the creator and organizer of the FANTASIOLOGICAL FESTIVAL, with guests of national and international importance.

Massimo Gerardo Carrese in the "Plastic War" documentary, 22 July 2021 RAI 2, produced by RAI Documentari. With the photographer Giovanni Izzo

«I began my studying on fantasiology by researching the etymological nature of this word which includes the suffix “-logia” that recalls the concept of a study, and the word “phantasia”, from the Greek phàinō, which means to show, to make manifest. The word "phantasiology" already exists in an Eighteenth-century text and is mentioned, among others, by Hegel and Derrida, but not as a study of the critical analysis of imagination and imagery. Instead, I intended it precisely as a critical study, trying to give a methodological guise to phantasiology identifying a professional reference figure too, the phantasiologist, who would deal with these [...] faculties with solid basis, bibliographic references and accurate research. The words imagination, imagery and creativity have a history that concerns authors from scientific, humanistic, artistic and ludic fields. Therefore it is not possible to speak of these [...] faculties only for personal opinion, but it is necessary to study their history and technical aspects.»
School of Journalism of University of Naples “Suor Orsola Benincasa” (Interview, July 2021)