© Vincent Zanni, early cianotype work.

What was your everyday life like before you identified as an artist or a photographer? Did your initial environment influence your perspective? Was there a distinct catalyst or experience that pushed you towards an artistic path?

Vincent Zanni (VZ): I grew up in Geneva, where artistic interests weren't prevalent in my family, except for my grandfather who had an interest in the arts and design. Although his influence was somewhat limited due to his passing when I was young.
My childhood was spent outside exploring my surroundings, whether it was the forest behind my house or my grandmother's garden. I was a hands-on, curious child, constantly building huts with friends and I loved solving problems. My love for understanding how things work led me to excel in subjects like math and physics, where concepts were either right or wrong, providing a sense of clarity.
The thought of pursuing art hadn't crossed my mind. It wasn't until I received my first camera at 18 as a birthday present, that my perspective shifted. Initially, I began documenting moments with friends and family.
The pivotal moment came when I had to choose between science and art as an option class. Despite excelling in biology and chemistry, I wanted to the challenge myself, so I decided to pick the art option. This decision marked the beginning of my artistic path.
After completing my diploma, I took a year off to study English and worked for a company specializing in building sets for theater, parties, and window shop display.

Tell us something about your educational path and if it has informed your journey at all? Anyone has been instrumental in guiding your visual consciousness and practical evolution?

VZ: After graduating, I decided to devote myself entirely to photography and turn a hobby into my job. With this goal in mind, I enrolled in the Applied Art School in Vevey for a two-year photography program. During this intensive period, I immersed myself in every aspect of photography, including its history, technology, and practical applications.
The primary focus of the school was to train us as commercial photographers, preparing us to serve clients and provide professional services. However, as I progressed through the program, I began to realize that this path didn't align entirely with my aspirations.
Throughout those two years, we were introduced to various practical techniques, including working with analog photography. One particular experience left a lasting impression on me. Towards the end of the program, during a class excursion, my teacher, David Gagnebin-de Bons, introduced to the class, cyanotype printing. As he pulled out a lightproof bag from his backpack, he distributed pre-coated paper with the cyanotype solution to each of us. We then gathered plants and branches from our surroundings and developed the images in a nearby river. These two cyanotype prints marked the beginning of my artistic journey, as they represented my first foray into creating artwork beyond traditional photography.

 © Vincent Zanni, early cianotype work.

After graduating from the school in Vevey, I decided to further my studies and pursue a more artistic approach to photography by moving to the Netherlands and erroling at the WDKA in Rotterdam. Additionally, my partner at the time played a significant role in expanding my artistic horizons. She introduced me to various art forms beyond photography, allowing me to explore new avenues of creative expression. 

You graduated from WDKA in Rotterdam, and were selected amomg the Blurring the Lines talent 2023. What are the themes that interest you, what generally attracts your observation?

VZ: The themes that deeply resonate with me revolve around the essence of human connection, memory, and the passage of time. Initially, my interest in photography stemmed from a desire to document the world around me, particularly my own life and the lives of those close to me. I found myself drawn to capturing moments that held personal significance, creating a visual record of the people I encountered and the experiences I shared with them.
However, it wasn't until I found myself living far away from home that I truly began to understand the profound importance of these photographic memories. Viewing photographs of my childhood friends and family while being physically distant from them evoked a sense of nostalgia and longing. In those moments, I realized that photography served as a powerful tool for preserving connections and bridging the gap between distance and intimacy.
Paradoxically, the physical distance from my friend and family made me closer to them. This realization deepened my appreciation for the fleeting nature of time and the preciousness of each moment spent with them.
In essence, my photography practice has evolved beyond mere documentation; it has become a means of preserving memories and encouraging connections, and human relationships. Through my practice, I try to creat work that capture fleeting moments defining our lives and evoke the shared emotions that bind us together.

© Vincent Zanni, Cianotype experiment

What is your approach to the medium? Do you privilege any camera or process in particular? How do you envision or conceptualize the projects?

VZ: My approach to photography is a balance between analog and digital processes, without privileging one over the other. While I have a strong affinity for the tactile nature analog photography, I also appreciate the convenience and versatility offered by digital cameras.
During my studies, I received feedback from my teachers regarding my tendency to pursue the “perfect” image, often at the expense of embracing experimentation and spontaneity. This critique prompted me to reassess my approach to the medium and adopt a more open-minded mindset.
In response, I embarked on a journey during the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching myself wet plate collodion photography. This alternative process challenged my preconceptions about perfectionism, as the inherent difficulty of the medium forced me to accept imperfections and unexpected outcomes. Therefore, by letting go of my pursuit of perfection, I discovered a freedom in my artistic practice. Rather than viewing mistakes as failures, I began to embrace them as integral aspects of the creative process, enriching my work with spontaneity and authenticity.
Overall, my approach to photography is characterized by a willingness to experiment, adapt, and explore new techniques. By embracing both the limitations and possibilities of various processes, I try to conceptualize projects that are conceptually rich, visually compelling, and emotionally resonant.

© Vincent Zanni, Tintype, "Andrea", 2023

© Vincent Zanni, "Bodies #1 ambrotype, glass,10x12cm,2020a"

Have you undertaken projects or tasks that required you to venture into unfamiliar territories, physically or emotionally? If so, how do you cope with the uncertainties and daunting photo ventures? What have been some defining challenges or milestones on your artistic path?

VZ: The passing of both my grandmothers marked a significant turning point in my artistic path. Confronting death for the first time with a mature understanding, I turned to my camera and artistic practice as a means of processing and coping with the grief.
While mourning, I found solace in preserving fragments of their lives through photography. Venturing into this unfamiliar emotional territory was both daunting and cathartic. Photography became my tool for navigating the uncertainties of loss, helping me uncover beauty and copping with pain.
This project served as a defining milestone on my artistic path, shaping my understanding of photography as a medium for storytelling and emotional expression. Through moments of vulnerability and uncertainty, I discovered the transformative potential art can have.

© Vincent Zanni Tintype, "Mady 90th Birthday"

Does research play any significant role in your practice? Do you dialogue with other experts when developing your projects?

VZ: Research is a part of my artistic process. I value both visual exploration and digging into academic texts to inform and creat my work. While I've consulted technical experts, I haven't felt the need to tap into academic resources just yet, as the texts I've found have been enough for what I'm doing at the moment.

How far people, communities are included in your project? Or in what ways do you hope to give back or contribute to the broader artistic community or world at large with your work?

VZ: My current project focuses on unravelling the significance of photography within Western families. Conceptually, I aim to show the role images and objects play in shaping our memories and identities. By sharing and showcasing my work, I aspire to foster a deeper understanding among people of the power of visual media in preserving and reflecting our personal narratives.
Furthermore, I would love to contribute to the artistic community by offering guest lectures and workshops on alternative photography techniques. I want to encourage people to experiment, pushing the boundaries of conventional practice. I hope to inspire others.

In your recent projects, 'La Maison' and 'Sights of Unary,' you delve into the contemporary importance of family archives and memories, examining the interplay between imagery and societal impact. What is your personal take on the topic?

VZ: Working on these projects, my aim was to gain insight into my own identity and the dynamics within my family. Personally, I perceive family archives not just as repositories of personal history, but also as reflections of broader cultural narratives. Every time I shared the book with someone, they would often remark, "Hey, I have the same picture in my archive," or "This reminds me of my parents." This highlighted to me the multifaceted nature of seemingly mundane photographs, each open to a variety of interpretations, even within my own family.
I believe these collections of images and memories serve as powerful tools for understanding the past and shaping our identities. However, I've come to realize that they offer a somewhat biased and romanticized view of our history. In creating my own narrative about my family, I may have constructed a version that I wanted to see, rather than the reality. I found myself imagining stories about distant relatives, pondering who they were and what they might have thought.
Furthermore, I discovered that certain topics were conspicuously absent from the archives. One significant omission was the topic of death, despite being everywhere but not explicitly shown, indeed the majority of the people present in the photograph are long dead.
While photography is often perceived as a faithful reproduction of reality, I've come to understand that it merely appears so. Without thorough explanation, we can only assume its authenticity or the narratives embedded within them.

© Vincent Zanni, archive documentation "La Maison" 

© Vincent Zanni, installation view "La Maison" Cyanotype prints on gelatine, glass, steel, water.

What relevant takeaways have you achieved from these projects?

VZ: Prior to these projects, I tended to overthink, often getting caught up in “What if ?” scenarios or endless “maybes” before even starting a new project. Through these projects, I've learned a valuable lesson: sometimes, you simply have to take the leap and see what unfolds. Allowing myself to the possibility of failure and mistakes has enriched my practice far more than avoiding them ever could.

“La Maison” photographic installation is composed of 4 tanks filled with water. Photographs of my family house are displayed inside and overtime they will be destroyed. Can you explain the main assumption of this work? And what are the practical difficulties you faced in its development?

VZ: “La Maison” is my interpretation of the exploration of the impermanence of memory and the passage of time. By placing the photographs in water, it will eventually degrade them. My goal is to highlight the transient nature of human experiences and the inevitable decay of physical objects and places, including memories and family history through a photographic installation.
One of the main practical difficulties was the printing, finding a suitable formula to preserve the photographs to display underwater while still allowing them to degrade over time. Also, I had to learn some skills unrelated to photography, like welding and coding. But it was something that I wanted to incorporate into my futur practice.

© Vincent Zanni, installation view "La Maison" Cyanotype prints on gelatine, glass, steel, water, 30x50x148cm, 2023

© Vincent Zanni, installation view "La Maison" Cyanotype prints on gelatine, glass, steel, water, 30x50x148cm, 2023

© Vincent Zanni, Graduation show WDKA, installation view "La Maison"

"Sights of Unary" (2023) is a photographic book which investigates the meaning and function of family photos as a tool to preserve memories and hand down identity and experiences down to future generations. Could you tell us which were the main editorial choices and criteria you followed in crafting the publication? And any lessons learned you wish to share?

My initial goal was to create a book that would either not last or would change over time. Unfortunately, my friend, with whom I collaborated, pointed out that this wasn't a viable option,maybe in the future, who knows, I'll make one. The challenge was to showcase the full array of the archives without being dull, while also piquing the interest of viewers. One of the main decisions was to select only physical images not present in a family album.
Some choices were driven by budget considerations like the book's size and binding were selected to save money. However, the paper choice, wasn't about saving money; it served a specific purpose. I opted for a very thin paper resembling the one found in old photo albums, allowing for a tactile experience. Moreover, the paper is slightly transparent, enabling the images on adjacent pages to interact and blend seamlessly.
The decision to use handmade cyanotype covers was mine, and although making over 250 covers by hand was quite challenging, it felt like the right choice.

© Vincent Zanni, Book "Sights of Unary", 2023

Given the installative dimension of your work, how do you cope with exhibitions? And how would you ideally interact with the audience?

At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by the level of organization and effort required to set up my installations. However, after showing my work with other installation-based artists. I came to realize that the logistical demands of my installations were not as bad as I had initially perceived. While they do require a bit more planning and maintenance compared to hanging framed pictures, I found that with each exhibition, the process became progressively smoother and more manageable.
Typically, the audience requires some guidance to fully grasp the nuances of 'La Maison,' as the work evolves over time. However, a concise explanation text is usually sufficient to provide context and enrich their understanding. Recently, I showcased the work for the first time outside of a traditional white cube setting, and I believe the installation benefited from this change in environment although it wasnt perfect.

The scenario in which photography is presented and discussed has changed considerably in recent years with the spread of ICT and the digital world. How do you relate to social networks and this expanded field of photography? How do you see the future of the medium evolving? And communication of one's own work...

I view social media primarily as a marketing tool rather than a platform for personal expression. While I don't despise using it, I'm also not particularly a fan. Navigating the artistic landscape on social media can be challenging; it's easy to feel lost amidst the vast array of content. However, I recognize its value in staying informed about developments in the photography world, as much of the communication within the industry occurs through these platforms.

Despite any uncertainties, I remain optimistic about the future of photography. I perceive a resurgence in interest in traditional photographic techniques, particularly in the fine art sector, with one example that I see everywhere at the moment, cyanotype printing. This return to more traditional methods suggests a growing appreciation for the craftsmanship and authenticity inherent in analog processes.

In this fast changing environment have there been periods where you felt the need to redefine or pivot your artistic direction? Or to find your grounding again? How do you handle evolution in your life/work and transformation of visual-identity?

There have been moments when I've felt the need to reassess and redefine my artistic direction. Recently, I found myself immersed in the technical aspects of photography, losing sight of what made me happy, image-making and conceptual exploration. It became apparent that I was experimenting without a clear goal. I decided to take a step back and evaluate my trajectory and interests.
While doing my introspection, I realized the interplay between life experiences and my artistic practice. Inspiration often comes from my surroundings, with external influences shaping my work and vice versa. However, the pressure of meeting others expectations can weigh heavily on my creative process. At times, it feels like I'm expected to continually outdo myself with each new project, akin to an athlete striving for peak performance.
I've come to understand the importance of staying true to myself and my vision. Rather than trying to please other people, I try now to prioritize authenticity and alignment with my personal values.

© Vincent Zanni, camera less experiement

Any interesting books that you recommend and that recently inspired you and why?

"Ghost of my life" by Mark Fisher, influenced my practice in general and keeps inspiring me. Fisher challenges conventional notions of time and history, inviting readers to reconsider how the past shapes our contemporary experiences. His thought-provoking ideas have encouraged me to explore themes of memory, nostalgia, and the passage of time in my practice.

Another book is "Photography and Belief" by David Levi Strauss. Strauss talk about the history of photography, exploring how the medium's evolution has led to its distortion in the modern era. His insights challenge conventional notions of truth and representation, making readers to reconsider the intersection of photography, memory, and belief. it has inspired me to delve deeper into the themes of memory, nostalgia, and the passage of time within my own practice.

Which photographer would you like to read an interview about in Urbanautica Journal? Why?

I would love to hear about Hugo Deverchère. He is not a photographer per se, but he is an artist who uses photography within installation-based works. He approaches his practice like a scientist, and photography can be closely related to science. I'm curious to learn about his approach and his methods of working.

Vincent Zanni (website)