Series - FotoSlovo 2026 - Category « Trip / Essay »
Honorable Mention
Almost Adrift is the photographic diary of a journey where I had no role whatsoever in choosing the route or the purpose. But a journey where - as if carried by a stream beyond my intentions and control - I embarked on with all of myself. Journeys like this exist and they can happen for various reasons: to make a living, to react to an expected crisis, to comply with one of life's serious obligations. To me, they are very interesting because they are clear of all the implications, preconceptions, frustrations that come with an intentional voyage. They are almost a ''pure'' journey. Having no preconceived focus, but being there with all of himself, the photographer finds a different kind of focus: all around, instinctive, aimed at quickly capture the unexpected in everything encountered. What I present here is a small portion of the first chapter of Almost Adrift: April in Africa. Work reasons lead me to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. All places I saw for the first time. The project - due to the unintentional character of the voyage - explores two more general themes. The first is the nature of ''seduction'' for humans. Surprisingly, the Latin origin of the word had a negative connotation: to lead astray, to push someone away from their way. An unintentional journey is the perfect occasion to see how seduction actually becomes a positive, fundamental force in the lives of humans, bringing us out of our comfort zone and into a self-changing encounter with the world. The second, is the nature of photography. Traveling where we had not planned to go but being there fully the camera gives us the priceless tool to be there fully at all times. Presence. This feature of photography is clearer in unintended journeys but is true and fundamental at all times. And one of the main reasons why I love photography. My bet - as more chapters will add up to Almost Adrift - is that eventually a coherent narrative will emerge, written by chance and by by nobody, but photographed by me.
