© Melissa Carnemolla from the series "The Island Within The Island"

What is your relationship with Sicily? With your land?

Melissa Carnemolla (MC): Sicily is a very extended island. My relationship with the region I come from, or the province of Ragusa fluctuates. It oscillates between being an old friend with whom I no longer have many arguments and a new love on which I place so many expectations. It is quite a magnetic land that calls me back, but it is as if she needs me more than I need her.

You studied in the Netherlands at KABK. How did it influence your educational journey, specific cultural interests, and your idea of the image's role in contemporary society?

MC: The academic path that began in 2017 has been fundamental for my personal and cultural growth. The international academic environment has helped to improve my view of the world.
Studying photography at KABK taught me to perceive the photographic medium in a broader sense. I learned that the final result is nothing more than the consequence of a long process. Every decision must have a reason. This assumption, associated with the professors' ability to provoke the right questions, made me aware of my interests and helped me master the reactions that derive from them.

Tell us about your graduation project at KABK. Can you introduce us to the motivations and developments of the project?

MC: Ragusa is often defined as "the other Sicily" as if to indicate a reality apart from its surrounding territory. What differentiates it is a virtuous complex of characteristics that make the region more productive and younger. The southernmost city in Italy is also the undisputed cradle of Baroque art. And finally, the absence of crime. The sound of the word mafia resonates like an echo in this wealthy but, at the same time, rather indifferent social context.

© Melissa Carnemolla from the series "The Island Within The Island"

I was born and raised here, where seemingly nothing happens, and everything goes well. But living as a "deaf mute" was not my destiny. My willingness for emancipation as a Sicilian and a woman prompted me to abandon this too-closed social context. Thanks to the experiences accumulated in 6 years living between Rome, Norway, Morocco, and Holland, I was able to return home with a vision free from local conjectures. Driven by the desire to know where I come from with new eyes, I started my graduation project, "The Island within the Island," which evolved into a visual translation of the obscure facts behind the agricultural sector of the province of Ragusa.

© Melissa Carnemolla from the series "The Island Within The Island"

What did you learn during this project about Sicily and the agro-industry?

MC: The province of Ragusa is second in Europe with the highest concentration of greenhouse crops and produces most Italian vegetables. The general disinterest that has marked this territory for years has unfortunately allowed the mafia to infiltrate this big business, leading to many problems that are still unresolved today.Through the project, I have become much more aware of the social implications of food production. Firstly: if good food connects people, then lousy food makes them accomplices. It doesn't matter how far we live from the place of production; we should all be interested in knowing which path the food we consume goes through.

© Melissa Carnemolla from the series "The Island Within The Island"

My project stems from a personal need and evolves in an attempt to interact with an inaccessible and ecologically complex production system that is not only of local interest.

Tell us about your experience in the ghetto in Rome, where you contributed to the production of the film "Behind the Dream."

MC: "Behind the Dream" is my first documentary project, and it starts inside the set "I was a dreamer" by Michele Vannucci with Mirko Frezza, Alessandro Borghi, Ivana Lolito, and many others. The plot tells the story of Mirko, who, once released from prison, foresees a new existence for his family and the entire neighborhood. Once filming is over, the director suggested I stay in the neighborhood and continue to tell the story through my photographs. And it happened: I stayed and that place became a second home. As the months went by, communication and connection with the cinema experience were interrupted, leaving room only for the reality of things.

© Melissa Carnemolla, backstage image from the film set "I was a dreamer"

Your work in Sicily continues, even beyond photography. Your practice is evolving somehow. Tell us about the relationship you have built with the family of Marina di Acate.

MC: My work in Sicily continues. I defined the first part of the project as the "visual research phase." Now, I moved on to the next step, which is genuine human connection. Here the family of agricultural laborers of Tunisian origin takes over. I got in touch with them thanks to the intervention of the Tunisian interpreter of the Caritas of Ragusa. Caritas of Ragusa operates directly in the Marina di Acate area (the one with the highest concentration of greenhouses) to support laborers' families.

© Melissa Carnemolla from the series "Behind the dream"

I'm still working on building a natural bond with the family. Unfortunately, the parents do not speak Italian well, so for linguistic reasons, I got closer to the three daughters, aged 11, 13, and 15. I'm learning to know them and to decipher their moods and characters. I am very interested in recounting their adolescence in such an isolated and critical context and in a country that is not theirs. My vision of this place and its inhabitants is starting to broaden, and I am not keen on using only photography. I am also establishing a dialogue with regional institutions and beyond.

How is your approach evolving?

I am interested in exploring the shadow areas or the hidden stories that only a careful artist can communicate. My personal projects are long-term, I'm not interested in photographic safaris, but I need to fully connect to the story and its protagonists. My approach relates to the research phase and the production phase. The two sometimes intertwine. To help me, I create a map of the steps I need to take to achieve my project goals.
I love collaboration and connection with people. I always let myself be guided by what I can do for others. This aspect excites me greatly and gives me the right consistency to continue my work.

© Melissa carnemolla from the series "Behind the dream"

How can we disseminate our works and bring them into the community, and impact public opinion, to redeem the media's attention?

MC: Today more than ever, we need to be self-critical and careful: before investing time and energy in a story, we must ask ourselves many questions. It is essential to ask yourself if that particular story is necessary. Could it have a market or be of interest to someone? Or can it bring about concrete changes? I don't think we should aspire only to dissemination within the photographic world, which is increasingly elitist. Instead, collaboration with organizations and associations could be the right way to redeem that public attention and make what we do more stable and credible.

© Melissa Carnemolla from the series "The Island Within The Island"

How do you face the need to balance the demand as a visual maker to respond to a climate of urgency in society with the equal pressure to develop your language and an honest, accessible, and recognizable voice?

MC: I abandoned the idea of chasing individual language regarding photographic style. In addition to the search for an aesthetically pleasing image, mine is always an open debate on the impact that my pictures have on the society in which I live. Each of my works is different, and I think it will continue to be so. What matters most is developing a visual language that aligns with my ethical and moral principles.

You have also prompted ot hercultural initiatives such as creating the  "Gazebook" festival in Punta Secca, a small seaside resort...

MC: Yes, exactly. I am the co-founder of "Gazebook", which was the first photographic publishing festival in Italy. The festival was held in a remote fishing village in southeast Sicily and lasted for three days. The goal was to connect a very isolated territory to the world of photographic publishing.
We have managed to reach an international audience since the first edition. The formula was innovative for those times. "Gazebook" was organized with an informal spirit and had, as its primary purpose, the dissemination of the photographic book and the breaking down of the barriers between guests and the public. At "Gazebook" there were no private dinners, the moments of aggregation were open to everyone.

Gazebook Photobook festival, Martin Parr presenting his books. Punta Secca 2016.

It was undoubtedly a harrowing experiment from an organizational point of view, but it was worth it. Personally, I think it ended at the best time, or at the peak of its success with publications on BJP and Aperture. It left a good memory for those who participated. It was a Limited Edition festival.

Gazebook Photobook festival on the British Joiurnal of Photography. Words by Colin Pantall

Melissa Carnemolla (website)