Gli uni e gli altri
Photography exhibition on the people
and places of Puglia, Italy.
Work by Roberto Patella
Curated by Antonello Patella
Gli Uni E Gli Altri, translated as The Other Ones is a photographic exhibition
by artist and photographer Roberto Patella that places emphasis on his
personal cultural exchange. This project consisted of design of exhibition
curation, sound design, all promo materials including large format posters,
invite cards, and take away booklet.
“My parents immigrated to the United States in the 1960 from a small town
in the south of Italy; my mother via an immigration ship and my father
via aircraft. My mother, Caterina, was a seamstress, and my father, Nicola,
an ironworker. Both being artisans in their own right, they found ways to
make ends meet by bringing the old world to the new. Fast forward 30 years
to the late 90s, they decided to buy a summer residence in their hometown
of Altamura, Puglia to be closer to their family members and mothe culture.
I was 15 years old when I made my first trip with them. Being a teenager and
highly curious by nature, I craved association with others my age and wanted
to understand the local culture. Since then, I were to return every summer,
uninterrupted.Throughout these 17 years, I have made many friends and
created very deep bonds with family members with whom I had never before
come into contact. I discovered I had a connection with the land of my
ancestors that was very different from the connectionI had with the USA through
birth. Through my yearly visits, I noticed my friends change clothing styles my family
members aging, and the local and national language evolving with the English
being a major world influence. It came to my attention that the changes
occurring amongst the individuals around me was a microcosmic representation
of the macrocosm. Italy was changing, and quite fast.
Being a photographer, it was obvious to me that I must document my experience.
So in 2011, I started to take pictures. I wanted to embody the connections I felt to
the people and places in Puglia and arrest these colorful, and sometimes colorless,
moments. In addition, I began to record the conversations I was having with my uncle
Filippo and other sounds as I walked through the town center or had conversations
with strangers.
Recording was something I would do as a child with my grandmother, Carmela, during
our conversations. The practice of recording allowed me to relive certain emotions
had in the past through sound. In combining these two mediums, my aim is to
create a multi sensory experience for myself and others that areinterested in having a
look into my world. As a photographer, it is partly my responsibility to freeze these
moments in time so that our successors may reflect upon our days and learn from the
past in some way or another. It is my responsibility as a good friend and human, to pay
homage to those who opened their doors and their hearts for this project and I do so
by presenting to them our shared memories printed on paper.”
— Roberto Patella
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by artist and photographer Roberto Patella that places emphasis on his
personal cultural exchange. This project consisted of design of exhibition
curation, sound design, all promo materials including large format posters,
invite cards, and take away booklet.
“My parents immigrated to the United States in the 1960 from a small town
in the south of Italy; my mother via an immigration ship and my father
via aircraft. My mother, Caterina, was a seamstress, and my father, Nicola,
an ironworker. Both being artisans in their own right, they found ways to
make ends meet by bringing the old world to the new. Fast forward 30 years
to the late 90s, they decided to buy a summer residence in their hometown
of Altamura, Puglia to be closer to their family members and mothe culture.
I was 15 years old when I made my first trip with them. Being a teenager and
highly curious by nature, I craved association with others my age and wanted
to understand the local culture. Since then, I were to return every summer,
uninterrupted.Throughout these 17 years, I have made many friends and
created very deep bonds with family members with whom I had never before
come into contact. I discovered I had a connection with the land of my
ancestors that was very different from the connectionI had with the USA through
birth. Through my yearly visits, I noticed my friends change clothing styles my family
members aging, and the local and national language evolving with the English
being a major world influence. It came to my attention that the changes
occurring amongst the individuals around me was a microcosmic representation
of the macrocosm. Italy was changing, and quite fast.
Being a photographer, it was obvious to me that I must document my experience.
So in 2011, I started to take pictures. I wanted to embody the connections I felt to
the people and places in Puglia and arrest these colorful, and sometimes colorless,
moments. In addition, I began to record the conversations I was having with my uncle
Filippo and other sounds as I walked through the town center or had conversations
with strangers.
Recording was something I would do as a child with my grandmother, Carmela, during
our conversations. The practice of recording allowed me to relive certain emotions
had in the past through sound. In combining these two mediums, my aim is to
create a multi sensory experience for myself and others that areinterested in having a
look into my world. As a photographer, it is partly my responsibility to freeze these
moments in time so that our successors may reflect upon our days and learn from the
past in some way or another. It is my responsibility as a good friend and human, to pay
homage to those who opened their doors and their hearts for this project and I do so
by presenting to them our shared memories printed on paper.”
— Roberto Patella
A multi-sensory experience photographed in variation of formats: 120mm, 35mm, and fuji peel apart film.
CAMERAS USED: Rolleiflex SL 35, Mamiya RZ 67 Pro IID, Polaroid 180 Land Camera. Photographs printed in various sizes.
FUJI film polaroids, 8in x 10in, 16in x 20in, 56in x 70in.
Printed on fiber based paper in BW and Color (digital/darkroom prints).
