I am showing portraits of individuals from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities from the UK, Slovenia and Italy, accompanied by the subjects’ own words.

The aim of Be-Longing is to promote an understanding of Traveller communities and counter the unspoken prejudices about such people. The core of my work consists of portraits of the people I have met while exploring this subject. In addition, to take my experiences of these communities further, and to invite dialogue and debate, I am making public some of the conversations I have had with the people I have photographed, and with others who have supported my research. There will be workshops, screenings and seminars during the exhibition at 198.   

 

Tuesday, 29 December 2009

Sinti in Italy, Campo Pietraferrata

I am waiting to hear back from my contact in Trieste to see whether I can go and do some work with Sinti from Trieste. There has been a lot of mistreatment of Roma and Sinti in Italy in the past few years. A disgrace. Federico Monasta has done a few studies (amongst which also a Phd thesis, available to download from:
http://www.ciet.org/en/documents/methods_docs/20071010104951.pdf) on the health and living conditions of Roma and Sinti in Italy. I can say that reading those shocked me. It seems that the conditions in camps are much worse than anywhere I've worked so far. Even in Slovenia where some Roma still live in shacks with no electristy or water. But at least not behind a fenced wall and under constant surveillance. Apparently in Italy that goes so far that Roma and Sinti have to give fingerprints as a record of their presence. More can be read on http://www.osservazione.org/documenti/OA_imperfectcitizenship.pdf.
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