13 storie dalla strada. Fotografi senza fissa dimora

A show to raise awareness and make us reflect: the aim of 13 storie dalla strada. Fotografi senza fissa dimora, running from 28 May to 1 September at the Gallerie d’Italia in Milan.

A journey from the outskirts to the heart of the city

It all began with photography workshops for the homeless run by the non-profit organisation Ri-scatti in association with Fondazione Cariplo: some participants had never picked up a camera before, while others rediscovered its secrets and power of expression after a long time.

The next step was asking the photographers who took part in the workshops to document the world of Fondazione Cariplo, a wealth of people and projects that are continually evolving, entrusting them with the task of revealing the foundation’s true identity.

The results can be seen at our Milan museum: 52 never-before-seen photos selected from 9,800 shots taken by the 13 photographers over the year, capturing 13 of the 1,500 projects that Fondazione Cariplo organises annually (the cheerful community of an urban allotment, an acrobat flying through the air, an apartment for disabled youngsters, the face of a female scientist).

Some of the homeless photographers continued to the very end of the year, while others got lost along the way, leaving behind only their photos: it was an emotional journey, along the crossroads of fragility and hope, and of fears and future prospects.

The project blended expression with self-expression: as well as the photos, video-interviews with the photographers will be screened at the exhibition. It is a window that sheds light on people’s lives, people who every day pass over the fringe, fragile and marginal soul of Milan. Overcoming their reluctance, the 13 photographs agreed to reveal who they are, where they spend their days, what they eat, how they wash, who they lost along the way, where they call home, what they wish for and what they found by observing the world from behind the lens.