RACINES (ongoing)

Racines’ stems from a desire to explore the roots of the olive tree, both literally and symbolically, considering this tree as a common cultural matrix of the Mediterranean. With this project I want to reflect on my origins and how the Mediterranean has always been characterised by migratory flows of people, animals, goods and plants etc.

In 2023, I started photographing ‘S’Ortu Mannu’, a thousand-year-old olive grove near my mother’s house in Sardinia. I was immediately fascinated by the imposing trunks, resembling anonymous sculptures, each with its own identity. I started by making a portrait of each tree taxonomically, but the further I went, the more interested I became in what the knots and intricate ramifications represented. These olive trees tell a story dating back to the period of the Pisan protectorate in the 11th century, when they were grafted to make them productive.

Through this anecdote of the past, I wanted to create a contemporary symbolic bridge between Sardinia and Tuscany, uniting images of two territories from one side of the Tyrrhenian Sea to the other. The project images show the similarities and constants of the Mediterranean, highlighting the common features between the two shores. The topographical data of where each picture was taken is no longer important, because the intention is to merge the perception of these two places. At the same time, as a photographer, it is important for me to show the roots as images. Even if they are almost impossible to photograph, they are part of the visual research of the project. During my residency in Lucca, I visited the Giardino dei Semplici in Florence, where I found archive images in some botanical books about olive trees.

These photos, documents of study and abstract works at the same time, stimulated my curiosity. I rephotographed them and integrated them into the project, offering a new perspective on these vital organs of plants. In this way, “Racines” pays homage to the natural beauty of these plants, but at the same time also reflects on the interconnection between cultures and the importance of understanding one’s roots.

     

 

          

   

 


                              

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