9 June 2014

His vision recalls that of Italian neorealist cinema, and just like postwar Italy the Chechnya recounted by Davide Monteleone is emerging from a conflict—the one with Russia—which has left indelible scars. In his black-and-white pictures, Monteleone shows us wild mountains, veiled women, men at prayer, reinforced-concrete constructions and clouds of smoke that appear to have a dual identity: they might be the traces left by a bomb, but in reality they are produced by fireworks celebrating Constitution Day. Playing on this ambiguity, the photographer has constructed Spasibo (“Thank You”), a project that won him the photojournalism award of the Fondation Carmignac. Until June 21 next, Spasibo is on show at the Studio Museo Francesco Messina in Milan. An opportunity to take a close look at the Chechnya of today, a place where even those who go to the gym to exercise must do so under the stern gaze of Putin, immortalized in a giant poster alongside the leaders of local parties.

Davide Monteleone, Spasibo
Studio Museo Francesco Messina
Milano
24 maggio > 21 giugno

© Davide Monteleone, VII Photo per il Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award

© Davide Monteleone, VII Photo per il Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award

© Davide Monteleone, VII Photo per il Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award

© Davide Monteleone, VII Photo per il Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award

© Davide Monteleone, VII Photo per il Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award

© Davide Monteleone, VII Photo per il Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award

© Davide Monteleone, VII Photo per il Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award

© Davide Monteleone, VII Photo per il Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award

© Davide Monteleone, VII Photo per il Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award

© Davide Monteleone, VII Photo per il Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award