• Pietro Paolini

Stories

Balance on the zero


Walking on the equatorial line the centrifugal forces that push to North and South are equivalent, therefore it is very difficult to remain in balance. The condition of Ecuador, like many Latin American countries, reminds this precarious balance. It’s on this balance between past and future that is being built on a new identity, not yet well defined, but which strives to bring its contribution to the development of the entire Latin America.

Bolivianas


Bolivia is in the heart of South America, a chaos composed by infinite plateau, salt deserts, rain forests, steppes and hills; 36 indigenous ethnic groups are a part of the population of this country rich with ancestral traditions and contemporary spurs. After the referendum that has ratified the new constitution, in December 2009 Morales was re-elected for the second time with the 64% of votes. These images represent a survey through the country, in this moment of change in popular consciousness, without knowing how will be in the future, but with the firm belief that they will not be able to turn back.

The Two Halves


The series "The two Halves" explores the daily life of the country in an extremely delicate moment for the democratic future of the Venezuelan society. A moment of transition, the end of a deep and radical political experience that has indelibly marked the history of the country in its positive aspects and negative ones. The uncertainty, the fragility of an identity that will become fully developed only by passing the strongest division in the Venezuelan people.

Buscando a Bolivar


The project is the result of my trips to Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela between 2009 and 2014. I documented daily life in the countries of the new Latin American socialism. My search focused on creating images that could excavate stereotypes, trying to look at these places and events in their complexities.

Portfolio

Pietro Paolini was born in Florence in 1981. He graduated from the three years course at the Fondazione Studio Marangoni in Florence in 2005. From 2004 started his interest for the South American reality, focusing on the new socialist countries, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador.
In 2006 he founded with other four Italian photographers the TerraProject collective. His photographs have been exhibited in Italy and abroad, was awarded with many international prizes and his prints are conserved in private and public collections.
Side gaze, exploration, questioning, randomness, complexity: recurring terms in the photographer’s vocabulary, very indicative for understanding his visual approach.
The result is a photograph strongly imbued with magical realism, in its most contemporary sense, of a suspension and temporal immobility that is intertwined with an analytical restitution of information and details. A photograph capable of finding a point of balance between the external world and interiority, capable of mediating between subjectivity and what lies outside.

Caracas, Venezuela

More info

Books

Buscando a Bolivar. Witty Kiwi. 2019

Awards

2018. Landskrona photobook dummy award
2016. Celeste Prize – Streamers
2014. Graziadei Award – MACRO ROMA
2014. PHmuseum grant – Honorable mention
2013. M.Pesaresi award for Contemporary Photograpy
2012. World Press Photo – Daily life 2nd prize stories
2011. Fujifilm Choose Film Distinctions Awards
2009. Canon Italia Young photographers award

Exhibitions & Screenings

2019. Buscando a Bolivar – Galleria Nicola Pedana. Caserta, Italy
2017. Balance on the zero – Cuizhenkuan Art Museum. Xi’An, China
2016. The two halves – Benaki Museum; Athen, Greece
2015. Collective case 11.227 – MACRO museum; Rome, Italy
2014. The two halves – MACRO museum; Rome, Italy
2012. Bolivianas – Centre d’Art Villa Tamaris – Marseilles, France
2012. NoNoise – Rencontre de Arles 2013; Arles, France
2011. Bolivianas – Fondazione Marangoni Gallery; Firenze, Italy
2011. NoNoise – Ego Gallery – Switzerland
2010. Bolivianas – VISA photo festival 2010; Perpignan, France
2010. Bolivianas – Centro Forma; Milano, Italy