Sanità
Sanità
Ciro Battiloro
November 6, 2018
The Sanità district in Naples, which was once a climatic spa, is now considered notorious because of its educational disadvantages, clan structures and few jobs. Ciro Battiloro is not, however, a photographer of adversity, preferring to shine a new light on facets of being human.
“In Sanità there are a lot of problems; the state is not present. Even so, you can find strong connections between the people, you can see the real nature of humans: from love to loneliness. The reason why I consider this one of my favourite pictures, as well as the core of Sanità, is because it conveys the meaning of the whole series. It represents the figure of a father who may be considered rough in his appearance – big hands and tattoos –, but is portrayed here in a moment of profound sweetness. It is a moment that I can say is so touching and pure: he seems to have the attitude of a mother. This embrace becomes the symbol for the existential condition of the neighbourhood. I also like how the tiny arm of his daughter seems to reach towards a different and better future, and it reminds me of the classical form of a Renaissance painting.”
Learn more about Ciro’s pictures in LFI 08/2018.
Image: © Ciro Battiloro
“In Sanità there are a lot of problems; the state is not present. Even so, you can find strong connections between the people, you can see the real nature of humans: from love to loneliness. The reason why I consider this one of my favourite pictures, as well as the core of Sanità, is because it conveys the meaning of the whole series. It represents the figure of a father who may be considered rough in his appearance – big hands and tattoos –, but is portrayed here in a moment of profound sweetness. It is a moment that I can say is so touching and pure: he seems to have the attitude of a mother. This embrace becomes the symbol for the existential condition of the neighbourhood. I also like how the tiny arm of his daughter seems to reach towards a different and better future, and it reminds me of the classical form of a Renaissance painting.”
Learn more about Ciro’s pictures in LFI 08/2018.
Image: © Ciro Battiloro
Ciro Battiloro+-
Born in Torre del Greco, Italy, in 1984, Battiloro studied philosophy at the Federico II University of Naples before specialising in documentary photography. His projects have taken him to Senegal, Morocco, Iran, Macedonia, Turkey and Romania. In his work, he analyses human beings, and how relationships in contexts of discomfort and social neglect can reveal unexpected beauty. Sanità has earned him the 2018 Helsinki Photo Festival International Prize. More