? "Borges y yo" is a homage to the great Argentine poet and his native town Buenos Aires. With a subtle reference to a story by El Hacedor (L?Artifice) the title becomes an acute indication which leads us to themes which are cherished by the author. The very epitaph to the work (?and behind the myths and the masks, the soul, which is alone?) traces subjects which are already known and appreciated in the previous work dedicated to Fernando Pessoa. There are twenty-five printed works which have been numbered and signed by the author (selenium toner silver prints) sized 40 x 50 cm.
Gabriele Croppi was born in Domodossola on 9th May 1974.
Over the years he added the passion for photography to the already inborn one for painting.
He therefore decided to attend the Istituto Italiano di Fotografia in Milan where he obtained his final diploma with maximum marks.
He has worked for the International Institute for Mesopotamian Area Studies, the 1998 Camel Trophy, Cefa (Elbasan mission, Albania ) and various tourist-geographic articles.
He conceived the ? Guernica 2000? project, a re-interpretation of the famous painting by Pablo Picasso in photographic technique, in collaboration with the Istituto Italiano di Fotografia,Agfa s.p.a., Alitalia, Istituto Italiana di Cultura, Roberto Mutti. In the meantime, he also devoted himself to reporting. In 1998 he published the book entitled ?L?erba e gli elefanti? (? The Grass and the Elephants?), concerning the conflict in the Balkans.
A year later a series of solitary expeditions went up the Rio Amazon, the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimones to report about the life led by the native Indians and the social contradictions of those areas. During the last few years after having approached sculpture, architecture and literature, he has carried out various re-interpretations of famous works and a research into the inner landscape.
In 2002 he moved to Lisbon and finished the ?Fughe? project which is a homage to the Portuguese national Fernando Pessoa.
In the same year he published ?Cuba last-minute? a work carried out in Cuba with forewords by Roberto Mutti and Ettore Mo. In 2003 he was engaged in a new photographic-literary research inspired by J.L. Borges. In 2005 he was awarded the Italian Photography Award of contemporary art and he put his name to the feature film ?L?innocenza della mano?, a documentary dedicated to the artist Fausto Pagliano. He is currently conducting a research project into cinema, Visioni (Visions) and another project inspired by Mario Sironi?s city sub-urbs.
Among his recent works the serie ?Horror vacui? (2008) and an investigation about the theme of the ?Post Memory? (2008), through the reinterpretation of the Shoah?s places.
Now he lives and works in Milan inside the editorial sector he dedicates himself to teaching at the Istituto Italiano di Fotografia.
Awards CV: Gabriele Croppi (*1974) received a diploma in photography at the Istituto Italiano di Fotografia in Milan. He works in the field of photography and film and his special interest is the relationship between photography and other forms of art. He has completed series which focused on revisiting holocaust sites. Croppi has received Italian and Spanish awards and his photos have been shown in several national and international exhibitions. He lives in Milan in Italy and works in the editorial field and also teaches at the Istituto Italiano di Fotografia. For his photo essay “Metaphysics of an Urban Landscape” he was awarded the first place in the category Architecture – Buildings of the 2012 International Photography Awards.
2013
-Golden Camera Awards, Photo series of the year
2012
-IPA, International Photography Awards, first place “Architecture – Building” category
2011
-European Photo Exhibition Award
2010
-Premio Ponchielli, finalist
2009.
-Photoespaña 2009, selezionato sez. “Descubrimientos PHE”
-Kl photoawards 2009, finalist.
- Premio della qualità creativa in fotografia professionale Tau Visual: first classified section “Architecture and Interior design”, irst classified section “travel and ethnic ”.
2008.
-International Photography Awards 2008, professional onorable mention section “Cityscape”, professional onorable mention sez. “Other”.
-Premio della qualità creativa in fotografia professionale Tau Visual: second classified section “Interior design”, second classified “photojurnalism”, onorable mention section Photographic Art
2007.
- Celeste Prize, finalist
2006.
-Fotografia Italiana Arte Contemporanea, finalist
2001.
-Premio Vender, finalist
