Through his photo shoots, Alfredo Chiarappa catches glimpses of contemporary events which reflect social situations shaken by uncertainty. His suggestive images seem to roar yet reverberate a deafening silence.
The invisible thread that ties his photographic eye recalls attention on those young generations whose countries have undergone strong political changes. No man’s lands characterized by a deep existential crisis. For Alfredo there are no better means to tell stories than through photographs and films, and the poetic he manages to capture shows it.
His interest for this genre sparks in 2011, documenting how young Russians pass their nights in St. Petersburg (Crossing Leningrad), to then portray the vibrant youth of a corrupt Kosovo (New Born: Suspension). From the commemorations of Paris terrorist attack victims on November 13th 2015 (The Day After in Paris),to the Turkish Coup attempt in 2016 (Turkey After the Coup Attempt). And then again, the discomfort lived by millions of migrants and refugees at the Idomeni camp in Greece (Platform Zero).
Lately Alfredo’s projects concentrate overseas. Donald Trump’s election win (The Week Trump Won) and a project depicting America as divided amongst supporters and opposers (Divided States).
Currently he is working on ‘La Calle Pura’; a film-reportage on Cuba’s development leaving stereotypes aside and maintaining the government’s Reggaeton music ban as a parallelism. The act of narrating a place through its new customs.
As a freelance Alfredo has collaborated with many important names: Der Spiegel,L’Espresso, La Stampa, D- La Repubblica, Marie Claire e Burn Magazine. We have a chat via Skype Milan-Melfi before he departs to New York.
. . .
WHY
why and how did you end up in your career path?
I’m following this career path because it’s the only one I see myself in, I wouldn’t see myself anywhere else. It is natural for me to recount situations. I find writing is complicated because I’m good at cutting to the chase. Films and photos are two very different ways which help me to construct a story. In some way this places me within human history. I’ve always been interested in history, and liked studying it: why and how some situations occur and evolve. Living historic moments and to be able to represent them in my own way, throughout images, gives me satisfaction. Ethics and transparency always exist but objectivity doesn’t, every vision is subjective. Due to the fact that only one absolute truth doesn’t exist, the difference in stories is made by the point of view.
WHO
how would you describe yourself in a few words?
A total nerd. A very precise and methodical person. I am scientific in my approach to work and also very interested in the possibilities technology offers to tell a story, that’s why I define myself as a nerd.
WHAT
what is your source of inspiration?
A lot of it comes from research and what I see in other photographers, but also from the cinema, painting or the street. I take inspiration everywhere. Each story has a colour for me, so depending on the story I am telling I will associate a set of colours.
Sometimes even a small thing makes an idea spark; inspiration is 0,1% the rest is taking action.
While I work I always need to enjoy what I’m doing. It doesn’t mean that the stories I see don’t scar me. If you actively take part in the story, it always digs inside of you and leaves a mark.
WHERE
where do you go to when you need a break?
I don’t have a particular place, maybe more of a situation. Staying in places where the concept of individuality disappears, which somehow depersonalize me, helps me a lot. The mass makes me feel like I’m on pause mode because it gives me a sense of community. When I’m in Italy, besides seeing my parents, I like to go to the bar or to the stadium with my longtime friends for this reason.
WHEN
when and what will your next steps be?
Continue developing the project of the film ‘La Calle Pura’ and continue working on the project I began in 2016 ‘Divided States’ where I begin documenting from the surface to then go in more depth through mini-stories which narrate a larger feeling. I also have a project on my hometown.
**WILDCARD
if your life were a movie, what movie would it be?
This is England