Der Greif X FUTURES: 3 questions to Rosa Lacavalla

Der Greif introduces Rosa Lacavalla, one of the talents nominated for FUTURES in 2024

Rosa Lacavalla has joined FUTURES this year with two projects selected by Der Greif: "Sana Sana" and "La festa dell'equatore". What they have in common is a transformative character that unfolds through the power of a personal narrative that becomes a channel for exploring cultural intersections and migrations. Her works invite the viewer to reflect on the intricate paths of healing, transformation and the blurred boundaries between reality and dream.

Lacavalla (b. 1993) is an Italian photographer and visual artist based in Bologna. She holds a BA in Art Graphic and an MA in Photography from the Academy of Fine Arts Bologna, along with one-year studies in the BA in Photography program at Coventry University, UK, and an internship with the collective Cesura. Her work has been featured in several printed and online publications, and exhibited in collective and solo shows in Italy and abroad, including Encontros da Imagem, Liquida Photofestival, PhEST, Ras Al Khaimah Art, PhMuseum Days, Getxophoto, FotoLimo Festival. Since 2020 she has been a winner or finalist of awards such as Deloitte Photo Grant, Premio Francesco Fabbri, Emergentes, Nera di Verzasca Prize, Safelight Paper.

Der Greif: How does the photographic medium continue to serve your research endeavours?

Over the years I've come to a deep understanding of the subjectivity of everything and the need to express myself and what surrounds me through evocative images. These visual metaphors stimulate reflection not only in me as the creator of the images, but also in those who view them and make them their own. Images have often proven to be containers of emotions, both positive and negative, as if they were permanently sealed. It's truly heartening to witness the profound impact a series of photographs can have on an individual, evoking hope, nostalgia, cherished memories and more. Art in its various forms has an uncanny ability to resonate with people from all walks of life, stirring emotions and fostering connections. I've always loved music, but I never learned to play an instrument. As a simple listener, I've always admired – and still do – those who can move souls with sound, with a bit of envy. I've always had a conscious and unconscious desire to be able to offer the same sensations to myself and others through photography, a medium through which I feel I can communicate in a completely natural way.

Der Greif: "Sana Sana" and "La festa dell'equatore" are projects rooted in South American culture and beliefs. What's your relationship to those?

Both works are connected to South America, especially Argentina, in different ways. I often say that “Sana Sana” has been a part of me for several years, although I only fully understood its significance between 2019 and 2020. Some of the images in the series date back to 2017. The work takes its title from a nursery rhyme from whichI learnt from my Argentinian partner. He repeated it to me as a joke, to give a nod to the way South American mothers comfort their children after injuries. The rhyme says: “Sana Sana (Heal Heal) / Colita de rana (Frog's tail). Si no sanas hoy (If you don't heal today) / Sanarás mañana (You will heal tomorrow)”. I still remember the first time I heard it. I made it my own, my personal mantra. South American culture offers me the key to what I feel and have the urge to express outwardly through images. This particular series includes shots from several trips in South America, mostly in Argentina. On the other hand, “La festa dell'equatore” intertwines both Argentinian and Italian history and geography. The very title of the project pays homage to a rite of passage that took place aboard the steamships carrying migrants from Italy to South America. It was a celebratory moment marking the beginning of a new life. Particularly, part of the work makes reference to materials collected from a family of Italian Argentines and their fragmented history. Imagination, memory, and dream merge, often not providing a solution as to which image belongs to which of the two countries involved. People who know me through my work often think that I am actually South American, and I smile when I hear that. Perhaps in another life I was.

Der Greif: Your black and white images, which dominate your practice, have a particular softness and delicacy of tone. How do you approach the post-production process?

I experience the world in color, but often perceive it in its nuanced shades of gray. My images live in suspension. They exist in a tonal middle ground. I want them to breathe delicacy and poetry without the added weight that strong contrasts can bring. This approach developed organically. It began as an unconscious need that led me to understand what I was feeling and what I was trying to communicate visually by favoring soft contrasts even in color images. At the moment I'm experimenting with a different style of post-production to better fit the narrative of “La festa dell'equatore”. This series alternates between soft black and white images in various shades of gray and those with a strong blue tint that nevertheless balances the whole work. It's an ongoing quest, and I don't yet know where it will lead me.