Sereno

Sereno, a journey through the clouds and over the time, looking for my grandfather, the famous Italian weathermen Edmondo Bernacca.

Sereno, that means both clear, in relation to the sky, and serene, peaceful, referring to an emotional state of mind, is a journey through the clouds and over the time, a visual and poetic tale about the figure of the weatherman Edmondo Bernacca. For the Italians, Bernacca was an institution, so much so that it has now become a way of saying. Ever since I was a little girl, every time I say my surname, people ask me: “Is he your relative?” And when I reply stating: “Actually yes, he was my grandfather!” They remain amazed and incredulous. Edmondo Bernacca was a meteorologist, general of the Italian Air Force and a journalist. He was the first weatherman to appear on television in Italy in 1955. From 60s to 80s, every evening thousands of Italian families waited for his forecast, to know what the weather would be like for tomorrow. For TV viewers it was a standing appointment so much that they considered him part of the family. For me, Edmondo Bernacca, was Nonno Mondo, literally Granpa World: more than just my grandfather, a sort of wizard, a fortune-teller, a mysterious man with big ears and the head full of clouds. He had a wonderful and magical power: he could not only be, but also talk, form inside that box called television and sitting next to me at the same time. For me as a child that was an incredible magic. I worked on his archive, professional and private ones, and I combined them with my memories, and thanks to my father I was also able to portray him. I played with my imagination, combining photographs and clouds, creating new places and new dreams. Light and intimate visions of a journey through the history of my family and, in some way, of all the Italian families that welcomed my grandfather in their home as one of them.

“Tomorrow? As always, just lifted, I will open the window and I will look at the sky, this fascinating mysterious sky that has always been my life, from military and from journalist.”

E. Bernacca