Scirocco, let the wind carry you home
Anna Adamo
“There are no windows, the Scirocco can't find you there, because the Scirocco drives you crazy, you'll have a shock if it finds you.
It is a beast that loosens the knees and when it approaches there is that silence that things have in balance right before collapsing: a building on fire, before falling; a forest, before the storm; the earth, before an earthquake.
If that wind gets into your head you see mirages, you're a "shock" they say, but it passes. But if it gets into your heart, you're screwed: it burns you from inside and dries you up, like it does to orange trees.
Nothing is more serious than the Scirocco in my land.
In the Scirocco room all that remains is to deal with what you have and what you don't have.
There is nothing more."
"He arrives"
"Who?"
“The Scirocco”
"How do you know it?"
"The sea. Do you feel it?”
"No"
"Precisely. When the sea slows down and breathes slowly, the cicadas go crazy with fear and call it back to do its duty. He arrives"
"Who?"
“I told you, you idiot. The Scirocco”
“And what do we do?”
"Like the sea. Breathe slowly. Place your cheek on the floor: wait and listen."
Taken from “Figlio dello scirocco” (Son of Scirocco) by Alessandro d’Avenia
The wind is the symbol of the connections between places, history and people, I feel the need to continue to let myself be guided by this element that inevitably unites North Africa to our territory, through its journey.
I would like to continue mapping these places and following the wind, giving them a shape and an identity.
I started traveling often in Sicily since I met my ex-boyfriend, who he is from Palermo, I started taking confidence with this land which lives in a constant state of conflict due to the absence of politics and corruption rooted in every sector.
Sicily is a rough diamond, it is a land that always leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth, characterized by strong contrasts.
I have always let myself be guided by casual encounters and for me the unexpected is the best opportunity to get to know myself and others, for the first time, I have left my comfort zone, which is seeking a dimension of intimacy with people , trying to establish it also with places, I don't know if it's right or wrong, but in this case I would like to let the wind decide for me.
Anna Adamo land on this planet on September ’91, born and raised in the suburbs of Milano, north of Italy, investigate intimate, detailed portraits of her mother and her daily life since she was a teenager. She approached to photography in her childhood with her brother's camera. After the artistic studies she took part on the first national competition established by Leica, with the project ''This is our youth'' and won along with 5 others. Here she got scouted by a member of the jury, Magnum’s member Alex Majoli, whom later proposed her a work experience with the collective of photographers and photojournalist, Cesura, which he founded in 2008.
After having worked there as an intern for three months, she’s since been working there as a collaborator for five years.
She has documented various underground scenarios such as Gabbers, Punks.
All of this drives me in search of stories surrounded by human presence, emotions and families. From 2018 she works as a photographer freelance developing long-term personal projects, but also began to take her first steps in the fashion and editorial’s world.
Appleby
In 2021 I discover the Appleby Horse Fair which is an annual gathering of Gypsies and Travellers in the town of Appleby in Cumbria, which takes place on the first week in June.
I went there to try to get in touch with people in a different way from what I had always done, having always followed people who were already part of my life, starting with my mother, I felt the need to try to understand if I could have come into contact with a reality completely different from mine.
I would be lying if I said that there was a particular reason why I started photographing there, because there isn't a strong motivation or a great sense behind this choice, I was simply curious to know more.
in 2022 I had the opportunity to spend a week at the fair and at the caravan park, the last few days I met Joanne's family, with whom I remained in contact throughout the coming year and who I met again in 2023, the year which I spent most of my time with them.
I would like to focus more on the family I met and leave aside the surrounding context a bit.