A city of about 175mila people. A city of 200 hectares, one of the largest in Europe, surrounded by nature, composed of innumerable, tiny patches of land, fenced off, placed side by side. The air is saturated with smells lovely scent of flowers essence of incense and candles. A city always silent interrupted from time to time, lonely and anguished cries tears. A city where the slow passage of time remains suspended in the air, in silence, almost motionless, and only for once a year, is filled with his family, future, frantic citizens. For two days each year one week after Orthodox Easter the dead in cemeteries Moldovan gather the family to spend several hours in joy. Relatives arrive serene and smiling, full of cloths and food and prepares the tomb ready for lunch with the dead. The population passes through the narrow streets with their families and prays and blesses round ciambelloni (Colac) topped by long, narrow lighted candles on top and pour a glass of wine in the ground next to the tombstones. At the end of the rite of the dead guests sit around the grave or at a table placed in the fence and start eating, chatting and laughing loudly to the health of their loved ones. It is a very cheerful and lively party but also spiritual. The dead are not only weep and mourn but also to meet and make them participate, at least virtually, to the everyday family life. The dead do not speak but watch from above, partecipate and thank.
Carlo Gianferro (1970), freelance photographer, Rome. His professional activity begins in 2004 with a series of reportages on Romanian and Moldavian Roma communities.
In 2007 his book "Gypsy Architecture" has been published by German Axel Mendes.
In 2007 and 2008 Goes back to Roma communities for a new editorial project "Gypsy Interiors" of imminent publication by Italian Postcart Edizioni.
In this years he his carrying on long term projects on Russian soviet blocks architecture and for awareness campaigns for "formigas do futuro" and ADPP NGOs in Mozambique .
He's primarily interested in exiled workers and other fragile communities. His photographs document people conditions and show them in his environment where the architectural setting or backdrop is just as important as the human figures .
In last two years his work on Rom has obtained several international awards: Prix echange Boutographie, Montpellier, France; Marco Pesaresi 2008, Savignano sul Rubicone, Italy; Grand Prix Fotofestiwal Selection 2009, Lodz, Poland;Raymond Weil Talent 2009, Geneva, Switzerland; 1st prize portraits stories World Press Photo 2009, Amsterdam, Holland; shortlist at Sony Awards 2009, Cannes, France.
PRIZES
2nd prize Kuala Lumpur Photo Awards 2009
1st prize portraits stories World Press Photo 2009
Raymond Weil Talent 2009, Geneva, Switzerland
Grand Prix Fotofestiwal Selection 2009, Lodz, Poland
Prix Exhange Boutographie 2008, Montpellier - France
Marco Pesaresi 2008, Savignano sul Rubicone - Italy
Forano della Chiana Festival 2004, Arezzo, Italy
PUBLICATIONS
GYPSY INTERIORS
Postcart Edizioni - June 2009
GYPSY ARCHITECTURE
Edition Axel Menges - April 2007
By Renata Calzi (texts), Patrizio Corno (texts), Carlo Gianferro (photography)
Photographs by Carlo Gianferro
ISBN: 3936681120 : 9783936681123
PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
RAYMOND WEIL SA - GENEVA
CURRENT/UPCOMING EXHIBITONS
WPP 2009 world tour, May 2009 - April 2010
SI FEST - September 2009, Savignano sul Rubiconde, Italy
APERTURE GALLERY - October 2009, New York, USA
FNAC Libraries in Italy in 2009/2010
PAST EXHIBITIONS
FOTOFESTIWAL 2009, 7-31 May 2009, Lodz, Poland
KUALA LAMPUR PHOTO AWARDS (Group Exhibition) - 7-23 May 2009, Kuala Lampur, Malesia
SALONE DEL MOBILE - 22-27 April 2009, Studiooltre, Milan, Italy
DIA INTERNATIONAL DEL PUEBLO GITANO - 1-4 April 2009, Sevilla, Spain
BASELWORLD 2009 - 26 March-2 April 2009, Basel, Switzerland
PEPERONCIO FESTIVAL, September 2009, Diamante, Italy
BOUTOGRAPHIES FESTIVAL - May 2008, Montpellier, France
MASSENZIO ARTE - March 2008, Rome, Italy
COLLEZIONE ARTI FOTOGRAFICHE, - December 2007, Lucca, Italy
FOTOLEGGENDO FESTIVAL - October 2007, Rome, Italy
FESTIVAL OF ROME - May 2007, Rome, Italy
FOIANO FOTOGRAFIA FESTIVAL - May 2004, Arezzo, Italy
