Iacopo Pasqui: "I didn't choose photography; it came to me"

“I didn't choose photography; it came to me. It was almost an imposition to use it as a personal way of expression.” Meet Iacopo Pasqui (b. 1984, Florence), selected for Futures by the Fotofestiwal in Lodz.⁠ In his works, he explores the relationship between man, nature, landscape and social behaviour. Iacopo often uses photography as a metaphor and tool to critique and observe contemporary society, favouring projects with medium and long timeframes. ⁠

In this interview, he talks about his inspirations and career:

Can you explain us a little bit about your creative process? What inspires you?

My creative process always starts from an inner condition, from a perception or from a memory, from a state of mind, trying to speak and tell through personal-sensations issues that have nothing to do only with me and my experience but that can relate to everyone's life and history, who can speak to others. Starting from the particular to speak to the general. It is as if you were looking at one of my works or a photograph and thinking: "hell, this is also part of my world, I see myself in everything, there is also mine". Making connections, helping to understand that everything is part of everything, and nothing can be left aside.

How do you see your relationship with photography? Why did you choose this medium?

I have a conflicting relationship with photography but at the same time very strong. Like all deep and intense emotional relationships, it makes me feel good but also very bad. I didn't choose it; it came to me. It was almost an imposition to use it as a personal way of expression. Photography has a duplicity, it has incredible synthesis power, like few other media, and it could be very enigmatic, which means that it can leave space for countless interpretations and readings; it can say everything, and it may not mean anything. It leaves a lot of freedom to those who enjoy it but also to those who make it. I have a great imagination and photography helps me to feed it by sometimes pushing certain limits of reality.

Can you tell us a bit more projects that you have been working with?

Well the last ones are "1999" and "Castigo", the first is a work on a group of teenagers that I followed for about a year, born precisely in 1999, with Witty Kiwi we also published the book; the other is a series inspired by the story of original sin, trying to reinterpret it and developing a personal reflection on contemporary human being.

How has been the experience of being a talent selected for Futures?

Very interesting, especially for the connections and the possibility of meeting people that I would not have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.

Can you share with us a little bit about your plans for the future after being part of the platform? Do you have any new project in mind?

"N" is part of a series of works focused on the “bonds” that I would like to conclude, then I am carrying out a project on the issue of “protection” and about “angels" and I started a new work on the climatic condition of the planet, and mine in his comparisons.