Sicily, 2010
This series is the result of a personal investigation that took place in the Belice’s Valley in Sicily, which suffered a devastating earthquake in 1968. The work arises from a reflection on the absolute inadequacy of the central and local government that faced the emergency and the subsequent recovery. With the help of a linguistic ploy, which emphasizes my clear position (I’m Sicilian too), the images highlight the absurd urban utopia that was designed for the rebuilt of the disaster areas.
Each diptych is composed by an image of an earthquake ruin (left) and an image of a rebuilt village (right). The right one is photographed by means of a broken mirror, in order to symbolically represent it as a ruin too. I’ve paired the images based on their similarities, either real or symbolic. In short, the concept behind it is based on my personal perception. I had the feeling that the relocated people still love their ancient villages, even if they’re ruins now. Conversely they hate, or at least ignore, the new rebuilt ones, so impersonal and alienating, thus turning them ruins inside their heart.