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WORKSHOP
Photography: the Story through Images.
Theoretical and practical workshop on photographic languages and cross-contaminations
TEACHER
Gianpaolo Arena
WHEN
Saturday, March 29, 2025. 10:00-18:00
WHERE
Parco Ungaretti. Via Castelnuovo 2, 34078 – Sagrado (GO). Italy (MAPS)
The workshop includes a theoretical section dedicated to analyzing various artistic languages by studying great contemporary and past photographers, alongside a practical section focused on simple photographic exercises.
Landscape and portrait photography will serve as the guiding themes for deeper reflections on motivations, framing choices, shot preparation, process considerations, time and method, final selection, sequencing, and communication.
Participants will be invited to produce a coherent sequence of 10 images, using photographs taken during the workshop or pre-existing archive material.
During the workshop, the instructor will introduce various thematic insights into contemporary visual culture and cross-contaminations with other media that contribute to the development of individual photographic projects.
A significant portion will be dedicated to reviewing photography books and research projects on landscapes, the relationship between photography and literature, specialized publishing, exhibition setup choices, and curatorial approaches.
Under the instructor’s guidance, each participant will learn how to shape their photographic project—from selecting the theme and approaching the subject to conceptual development and project strategies. The goal is to gain the necessary awareness to create a coherent and personal photographic series. The workshop will be an opportunity for dialogue and constructive critique. The photographic research will be supported by presentations, portfolio reviews, exercises, and both individual and group reflections in the classroom.
Following the workshop, an equally important phase will begin: selecting the photographs taken during the session. Participants will have the opportunity to submit a selection of images to Gianpaolo Arena for feedback on their work.
The workshop will be held in Italian.
The course is open to anyone interested in deepening their photography knowledge and testing their skills. Professional photography experience is not required.
Participants may use any type of digital camera or, alternatively, a device capable of taking photos (smartphone, tablet, etc.).
Participation is reserved for members of Exhibit Around APS (membership is completed by filling out the workshop registration form).
Special Promo Trieste Photo Days 2025
300 €→130 € + Exhibit Around 2025 membership card (€20)
Limited spots available! If you’re interested, sign up now!
Gianpaolo Arena develops research projects on environmental, documentary, and social issues. His work employs landscape and portrait photography to investigate the representation of human-altered spaces and the sustainability of contemporary cities. Since 2010, he has been the curator of the international photography magazine Landscape Stories, organizing workshops, editorial projects, and exhibitions. He is also the co-founder and curator of the CALAMITA/À project (2013–ongoing).
He has contributed essays to monographs, catalogs, and exhibitions, including Carlos Casas: Vespers & Madrigals; Raimond Wouda, Céline Clanet, and Jan Stradtmann: 1 km; Joël Tettamanti: Past, Present and Future; Karen Knorr & Olivier Richon and Andreas Weinand: Youth Codes. In 2016, he was appointed as one of the curators of the Venice Pavilion at the Architecture Biennale.
In 2020, he curated the MH ART PROJECT, an artist residency across different sites in the Champagne/Cognac regions (France), in collaboration with Barbarito Bancel Architectes/LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. His work has been exhibited at numerous national and international photography festivals and institutions, including M9 Museum, Triennale di Milano, MACRO – Museum of Contemporary Art Rome, SI Fest, and the X São Paulo Architecture Biennale (Brazil) in collaboration with Latitude Platform.
In 2021, he published The Valley Between Peaks and Stars in collaboration with Marina Caneve (Quodlibet). That same year, he also published A Folktale From Vietnam: Speeding Motorcycles and Roasted Lemongrass (The Velvet Cell), which was exhibited in early 2022 at Spazio Choisi in Lugano and later selected for an exhibition at the Athens Photo Festival at the Benaki Museum in 2022.
Since 2022, he has been working on the research project Flood Risk Management: Prevention, Adaptation, and Resilient Strategies in Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with the University of Trento, IUAV University of Venice, and the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City. The resulting book will be published in 2025 (Lettera22).
In 2023, he participated in the Atelier#_new contemporary narratives artist residency, an initiative by the Municipality of Alghero and Fondazione Alghero aimed at enhancing the city’s heritage through a diverse program blending tradition and experimentation.
In 2024, he inaugurated the solo exhibition LLIGAMS: A Collective Portrait of Alghero’s Families, curated by Sonia Borsato. The book LLIGAMS will be published in 2025 (Quodlibet).
