Bellissima

Serie of 150 images Photobook, 320 pages. Softcover, 17x24

I met Rebecca during one of the final evenings of the Miss Italia Lombardia regional tour. I was looking for a young girl who was not necessarily a professional model but who pursued the dream of becoming one. That night, Rebecca stood out by winning first place in the pre-finals regional stage. Proudly, she stepped onto the podium wearing the crown. She had just turned eighteen, the eligible age to participate. However, her journey ended a few weeks later: she did not pass the final casting before the Finale. If there is one thing that struck me about Rebecca, it's definitely her perseverance. Her face reveals a constant struggle between ambition, desire, and fatigue. As a former model, I could recognize that determination.

That night, I wondered: Will she fit into the system? Will she be accepted?

The project reflects on the artificiality of the stage and on the photographic medium as a factory of dreams. By purpose­fully shifting perspectives on the photographic set and the interactions between subject, and through Rebecca's dynamic symbiosis with the photographer and ultimately with her audience, the work raises questions about how photography influences the dreams of young generations girls, and whether beauty would still matter if no one were looking at us.

The work aims to critique the photographic apparatus as a stage for performing beauty and to challenge the idea of it as a cult achieved through the attention of the camera. Beauty would still matter if nobody could look at it?

The project follows Rebecca's training in pursuit of her dream of becoming a pro­fessional model. Her talent is undeniable, but the constant stream of feedbacks from modeling agencies and the harsh reality of beauty pageants (whose cruelty is revealed in the interview at the end of the book) make it difficult for the girl to maintain the poise expected of her, exposing the brutal truth of the beginning of a dream's downfall. The book combines images taken over a span of 6 months, along with relevant images appropriated from the online channels of the Miss ltalia competition, where we witness Rebecca's determination to achieve victory.