A Photography Exhibition Showcases Migration Stories

Titled “Sguardi plurali sull’Italia plurale” (Diverse Gazes on Diverse Italy), the free exhibition will be inaugurated on Tuesday, 3 December, at 10:30 a.m. in the cloister of the Department of History and Cultures (DISCI) of the University of Bologna and will run until 14 January. The exhibition showcases daily life and personal stories presented through the lens of young photographers with migratory backgrounds — either immigrants to Italy or born in the country to parents of foreign origin.

Now in its second edition, the exhibition is curated by anthropologist Pietro Cingolani of the University of Bologna and it takes its name from the competition that inspired it. The competition, aimed at young people under 35, either foreigners or second-generation Italians, was won by Mounir Derbal, Deka Mohamed Osman, and Gabriela Du Bois. It is organized by DISCI, the International and European Forum on Migration Research (FIERI), the CSC Carbonia della Società Umanitaria - La Fabbrica del Cinema, the Italian Centre for Photography (CAMERA) and ARCI.

At a time when photographs and videos shape the collective imagination and public opinion like never before, migration stories are never told by those who directly experience them.

The goal of “Sguardi Plurali” is to highlight contemporary Italy’s cultural and social diversity through the eyes of young creators from across the country, including refugees, Italian citizens or those in the process of becoming one.

The exhibition provides a space for photographers to tell their own stories, breaking free from the role of the “subject” through an intimate stylistic tone that stems from a profoundly collective need.

The exhibition is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Visitors can access a catalogue available both on-site and online.