PASSATO PROSSIMO is an audiovisual project, resulting from a long lasting work including photography, interview making, researching in private archives.

OVERVIEW, Susanna Pozzoli
As many others in Italy, my family had been holding a family business (producing bresaola and prosciutto crudo, meat products) for many years. The activity went on from 1875 to 1995. With the change of the economy, big names and international firms have absorbed many small businesses. My parents' one was part of them: when they sold the business and the name, all the family organization and values changed.
This project aims at evoking habits, feelings and emotions that were part of the "traditional family business oriented life style", which is disappearing nowadays. Personal life was all in one with working life. The business was very linked to the territory, as the products named "bresaola", is traditional and regional DOP. Both the everyday relationship working-affective, and the link to the small town where the factory and the family lived and worked, faded while loosing the company.

PASSATO PROSSIMO is composed of: a series of medium format film photographs, taken since 2006 in one of the factories used by the Fratelli Pozzoli's business; a selection of ancient photos and documents reinterpreted; sound work (interviews edited by themes); a color sound video; vintage wood drawers to assemble the work. These elements collaborate, underlining different aspects and bringing a variety of meanings and feelings. The project is conceived as an installation: the viewer is invited to listen to the stories while watching the photographs and video. All documents included come from the family archive or were expressively composed and filmed to join this work.

The work was first showed at Galleria Credito Valtellinese and MVSA Museo Valtellinese di Storia e Arte in 7 rooms of two XVI century palaces in the city of Sondrio, north of Italy. A catalogue was published on this occasion.

Please visit the exhibition view in Exhibitions
Video work: GIROTONDO
Catalogue: PASSATO PROSSIMO

Black and white installation views photographs ©Gianni Berengo Gardin courtesy Montrasio Arte, Milano