Sicily —-> Japan

Reading the editorial of the new issue of Gente di Fotografia, the wise words of Franco Carlisi made me reflect on the theme of Distance, explored in physical, moral, mental, but above all photographic terms. As I prepare for a new long photographic journey, the photographs taken in the summer of 2024 during my trip to Japan came back to mind.

Any guide or influencer will recommend the typical places that are a must-see in the land of the rising sun, but this inevitably leads thousands, millions of tourists visiting these places to seek “that” photo/selfie seen in some story/reel. The Distance Carlisi speaks of, which I experienced while reading his words, sparked in me the desire to reconnect with those moments, those photographs I took.

My eyes were filled with wonder while I was there, but my soul was in turmoil due to the crowd/human fury swirling around me and in front of my camera lens. Thus began the hunt for silence, where possible, to contemplate the beauty that unfolded before my eyes. I decided, leaving aside for a morning what work demands, to dedicate myself to this inner search, a year later, rediscovering some images, reliving that sense of Distance from that time, that space, which Photography deludes us into thinking can bring closer to us.

A Distance that oppresses, yet generates that yearning for exploration, bringing back those memories, allowing us to analyze them, draw experience and bittersweet solace from them.