“Homecoming”, the second exhibition cycle dedicated to contemporary photography by Rifugio Digitale, conceived by Irene Alison and curated by Irene Alison together with Paolo Cagnacci, is an exploration of the concept of home in the complexity of the contemporary world, in the precarious balance between global interconnections and need to rediscover one’s roots. First appointment, the exhibition “Desire Lines” by American photographer Lara Shipley opens up the gaze on the sun-baked landscapes of the Sonoran desert between Arizona and Mexico, where one of the “hottest” borders of the United States runs and where it focuses an increasingly polarized debate over immigration enforcement.

As a second appointment, the exhibition “We are family” by the Italian photographer Paolo Raeli brings the autobiographical dimension to a universal level, telling the story of love at twenty years old but also an idea of family that is based on love, on recognition regardless of gender identity because love can arise anywhere and between anyone, it can last forever or be the memory of a past summer.

The “Homecoming” exhibition cycle 2023-2024 is hosted by Rifugio Digitale, a new exhibition space in via della Fornace 41 in Florence. The book of the same name will soon be available and can be purchased in pre-order on the website www.formaedizioni.it

Irene Alison The professional journalist and photo-consultant, Irene Alison, was born in Naples in 1977. She is creative director of the photographic project and consulting studio, DER*LAB, and teaches at the European Design Institute (IED) in Rome, in addition to collaborating as a tutor and consultant with some of the most important Italian schools of photography (Isfci, Rufa, Scuola Romana di Fotografia in Rome and Fondazione Studio Marangoni in Florence, among others). As an editor, she has worked for the Manifesto and D, La Repubblica delle Donne. As a freelance journalist, she has produced, with other photographers, a number of reports published in Geo France, The Independent, l’Espresso, D, XL, Marie Claire and Riders. Her articles of photographic criticism have been published by newspapers like La Lettura, Corriere della Sera, Il Sole 24 ORE and Pagina99. She has published two essays of photographic research, My generation (Postcart, 2012) and iRevolution (Postcart, 2014) and, in 2022, the American publisher Yoffy Press printed “Holding Time”, a book written with the photographer Catherine Panebianco, for which Irene authored the texts. In 2022 Postcart has published her essay, Muse col Muso (Muses with Muzzles, imaginary animals in contemporary photography).

Paolo Cagnacci Professional photographer and teacher of photography, Paolo Cagnacci was born in Florence in 1971. He studies photography at the Studio Marangoni Foundation, where he currently teachers portrait photography and lighting techniques. He has also taught at the European Design Institute of Florence. His pictures have been published in magazines like: D la Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica, La Stampa, Sette, SportWeek, L’Espresso, Pagina99, Specchio, Lei, Donna Moderna, Famiglia Cristiana, Corriere della Sera-La Lettura. He has produced photographic and video projects for the Region of Tuscany, the Festival of Creativity, the People’s Festival, Balkan Observatory, the Michelucci Foundation, Tempo Reale, Unicoop Firenze, the City of Florence, Telecom Foundation, Mibact, CNA. He has worked for companies like: Diesel, Patrizia Pepe, Paula Cademartori, Peuterey, Starbucks, Stefanel, Ottodame, Dmail, Rinascimento. He has worked for the Massimo Sestini Agency. His work is distributed by the Luz Photo Agency of Milano.