86
Giuliano Reggiani e Luca Setti: ROZZOL MELARA UN'INDAGINE A RIGUARDO
Authors: Giuliano Reggiani e Luca Setti
Texts: Giovanna Calvenzi, Pietro Celli, Giuliano Reggiani, Luca Setti
Pages: 132 + endpapers
Languages: Italian/English
Month/Year:: March 2026
Format: 206x280 mm
Binding: Paperback with flaps
ISBN 978-88-947614-9-8
€ 39,00
“Was Marc Augé right when he wrote, speaking of travel photography, that “in order not to disappoint, reality shall resemble its image”?
The authors of this exploration of the Triestine neighborhood of Rozzol Melara set out from a position of verification: did the image - not yet a photographic one - that the neighborhood suggested to them correspond to reality, or not? The first visual impact was intense for the two photographers from Emilia, Luca Setti and Giuliano Reggiani, during a visit to Trieste. The sheer monumentality of the architecture was striking, but even before taking a single photograph, a series of questions had already arisen. The neighborhood in which they would later decide to work for a couple of years had a relatively recent history. […]
The reputation of large housing estates marked by social problems or criminal control was well known, yet their curiosity and desire to explo¬re proved stronger than their initial concern. Reality, soon enough, reassured them.
As they recall, they were immediately gree¬ted by an elderly man who welcomed them kindly; children were coming home peacefully from school; a woman was feeding her cats. Despite being nicknamed the “Bronx” of Trie¬ste, the Rozzol Melara neighborhood turned out to be calm, even welcoming. After some initial diffidence, doors began to open, en¬counters multiplied. The stories of the residents – and glimpses into the interiors of their homes – became easier to capture, though a certain reserve sometimes remained.
They chose to focus their investigation on the dialogue between the architectural environ¬ment and its inhabitants. They were aware of the spaces where community life took shape - the bar, the dance evenings, the small mar¬kets, group exercise sessions, and the annual “Melara in festa” festival - yet they chose to stay true to their own project.
The place they had feared inhospitable welco¬med them, allowing them to work freely. Both adopted a photographic language that is sober, direct, and documentary – one that, in keeping with tradition, observes without emphasis or artifice. They built a rhythm of inquiry that skillfully alternates images of architecture, construction details, and portraits of people – in their homes or within the large shared spaces. The neighborhood is no longer fully inhabited; its population is aging. Yet the smiles with which the residents of Rozzol Melara welco¬med Luca and Giuliano gradually turned into genuine friendship.
Once again, Marc Augé proves to be right: despite their initial uncertainty, Luca and Giu¬liano’s images reveal a livable, serene, and hospitable reality. […]
(from the text by Giovanna Calvenzi)
The authors of this exploration of the Triestine neighborhood of Rozzol Melara set out from a position of verification: did the image - not yet a photographic one - that the neighborhood suggested to them correspond to reality, or not? The first visual impact was intense for the two photographers from Emilia, Luca Setti and Giuliano Reggiani, during a visit to Trieste. The sheer monumentality of the architecture was striking, but even before taking a single photograph, a series of questions had already arisen. The neighborhood in which they would later decide to work for a couple of years had a relatively recent history. […]
The reputation of large housing estates marked by social problems or criminal control was well known, yet their curiosity and desire to explo¬re proved stronger than their initial concern. Reality, soon enough, reassured them.
As they recall, they were immediately gree¬ted by an elderly man who welcomed them kindly; children were coming home peacefully from school; a woman was feeding her cats. Despite being nicknamed the “Bronx” of Trie¬ste, the Rozzol Melara neighborhood turned out to be calm, even welcoming. After some initial diffidence, doors began to open, en¬counters multiplied. The stories of the residents – and glimpses into the interiors of their homes – became easier to capture, though a certain reserve sometimes remained.
They chose to focus their investigation on the dialogue between the architectural environ¬ment and its inhabitants. They were aware of the spaces where community life took shape - the bar, the dance evenings, the small mar¬kets, group exercise sessions, and the annual “Melara in festa” festival - yet they chose to stay true to their own project.
The place they had feared inhospitable welco¬med them, allowing them to work freely. Both adopted a photographic language that is sober, direct, and documentary – one that, in keeping with tradition, observes without emphasis or artifice. They built a rhythm of inquiry that skillfully alternates images of architecture, construction details, and portraits of people – in their homes or within the large shared spaces. The neighborhood is no longer fully inhabited; its population is aging. Yet the smiles with which the residents of Rozzol Melara welco¬med Luca and Giuliano gradually turned into genuine friendship.
Once again, Marc Augé proves to be right: despite their initial uncertainty, Luca and Giu¬liano’s images reveal a livable, serene, and hospitable reality. […]
(from the text by Giovanna Calvenzi)