CHORDS
“Photography is a very curious thing because it seems to be infinitely repeateable, and to a certain extent, it is...Nevertheless, each printed photograph ends up by being one of a kind and, if this uniqueness enters into a dialogue with another unique photograph, a work of art is born, the latter generating a great poetic force.
The relationship between an artist and someone who organizes exhibitions is quite similar to the relationship between an author and his/her publisher and editor.
An editor always tends to organize texts in such a way as to render them more attractive to those who will be viewing the finished product.
And this is, more or less, how my relationship with Edoardo Miola was, when I saw his fantastic photographs, which tell the story of the world.
As Edoardo travels extensively around the world casting his inquisitive gaze over present and past, he and I together thought about mounting and organizing his photographs; and, in so doing, a whole new flavor to his works has emerged.
We have named such concept: Chords.
Philippe Daverio, November 2017
MUSTANG. A BORDERLAND FATE
The name Mustang comes from the Tibetan 'Mun Tang’ meaning “fertile plain”. The ancient Kingdom
of Lo, which for a long time was independent, although closely tied by language and culture to Tibet. It became an integral part of the state of Nepal in 1951. Foreign visitors were long forbidden from entering the lands of this ancient realm. Mustang remained closed to visitors until 1991, when travelling on foot was subsequently allowed. Even so, the number of visitors allowed was restricted to only a few annually.
SOMEWHERE
Somewhere in the World there will always be some place that makes us feel at home, regardless of its latitude and longitude, regardless of our origins, because, as William Shakespeare once said: ‘We are such stuff as dreams are made on…’ Let’s not limit our concept of ‘Home’, let’s look at the way most people of the World live and will understand that…
SOI COWBOY. ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK
I have always been fascinated by the attempt to connect light to movement, and subjects to motion. Photography has always spurred me on to go further this way and all experiments are appealing to me.
When I visit a city, I love to stop and observe people walking by. I try to get to the heart of streets throbbing with life. Once I heave reached the soul of a place, I decide to take the image…
AUSTRALAFRICA
Photographing animals, especially in Africa, is likely to turn into a routine exercise. The risk is following the same pattern sequence over and over again: action, peculiarity, and surprise. It is easy to forget that the surroundings, and the setting, are a perfect scenario for the subjects. African expanses are somehow touching and, I venture to say, deeply moving. I meant to make others live the pleasure of living in touch with nature…
MONGOLIA
When I thought about Mongolia, the first image that used to come to my mind was a boundless clear sky. One of the first impressions that I remember from my trip to that land, is two birds of prey chasing each other in a dangerous flight. They dove from up high to a few meters from the ground, getting very close to me. I heard the swish of their speed and then a sudden shift. The silence was such that I had entered another dimension…
VIETNAM
I visited Vietnam during the spring of 2007, in the occasion of Thich Nhat Hanh’s return to his country, after 40 years of exile. I have known a cozy, diverse, and kind country. It is a nation that managed to overcome long years of conflict, following the path of reconciliation. There live different souls and a rich and fascinating nature…
AUSTRALIA
A vast, diverse, rich and somehow mysterious country. The ocean is alive, and coasts are marvelous. A wild and primordial nature. The thing that impressed me most was a sort of ‘energy’ springing up from everywhere that made days bright, sleep deep, and made me think that what is written about Native Australians was living in every vibration…
BRAZIL
A fair description of Brazil cannot be limited to a few images. It is such a vast and varied country that many areas are hardly known still today. The mere word Amazonia brings us to a frightening dimension. If its forests are enormous and impenetrable, its coasts offer a unique variety…