SÅM Artist Residency
Visual Exploration in Lessinia 2019 Second Edition
- When:
- Where: Bosco Chiesanuova, Verona (IT)
SÅM - Esplorazione Visiva della Lessinia is a residency program dedicated to visual exploration within the landscape of Lessinia, curated by Ana Blagojevic, Chiara Bandino, and Francesco Biasi. The program is supported by Film Festival della Lessinia. The residency offers artists a unique opportunity to engage deeply with the region’s culture, geography, and communities. In its second edition, the residency was led by guest curators Rafał Milach and Ania Nałęcka-Milach who provided unique perspectives on the region’s ecological and human dimensions. The final exhibition was intended to be a constellation of axes that metaphorically and physically mapped the area, offering audiences a fresh view of Lessinia’s layers through alternative, narrative-driven maps.
Rafał Milach
A distinguished photographer and educator, Rafał Milach serves as a professor at the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School, University of Silesia. He’s been awarded scholarships from the Polish Ministry of Culture, the Magnum Foundation, and more, with works exhibited worldwide and held in prestigious collections. Milach’s critical projects, often addressing social and political themes, have earned him honors like the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize nomination and the Author Book Award at Rencontres d’Arles. He is a Magnum Photos member and a co-founder of Sputnik Photos.
Ania Nałęcka
Renowned for her photobook design, Ania Nałęcka-Milach brings a multidisciplinary approach that extends visual storytelling through the book form. With nearly 100 books in her portfolio, her designs have won accolades from Paris Photo, Aperture Foundation, and POYi, among others. She is recognized for her focus on viewer experience, transforming photobooks into immersive objects and experiences, collaborating globally with photographers and institutions.
Selected Artists
Anto Milotta
Anto Milotta (Italy) is an artist based in Genoa, that explore the resonance of place through installations and sound, showcased in exhibitions from MACA in Alcamo to the Biennale of Curitiba.
Claire Laude
Claire Laude (France) is an architect and artist based in Berlin, Laude’s projects span installation and utopian studies, recognized with Urbanautica Institute Awards and exhibited in contexts exploring spatial and political conflicts.
Krzysztof Światły
Krzysztof Światły (Poland) is a visual artist and translator, that examines socio-ecological issues and memory through projects like Paradise Rivers, exhibited across Poland and Italy, merging themes of language and environmental discourse.
Martina Zanin
Martina Zanin (Italy) her multimedia work delves into familial and personal memory, with exhibitions at venues like Fondazione Modena Arti Visive and Museo Castromediano. Represented by Studiofaganel, her work includes publications such as I Made Them Run Away and Older Than Love.
