FOR GIULIETTA

in , , , , ,

Giulietta arrived in our home 15 years ago. It was 2003, I was 17 years old and I used to live in America for my exchange student year. She arrived with Pamela, the girl they sent from US in my place.
Pamela adopted Giulietta from the streets and promised to my parents that she would have taken Giulietta with her in the States once her year in Sicily would end. When I came back home in June 2014, Giulietta was already part of the family. Everyone loved her and they named her the Terrorist because of a long series of things she destroyed in the house.
When Pamela realized how hard it was to bring Giulietta to another continent we decided to keep her with us. Me and Giulietta established a strong relationship since the beginning. She soon became “Claudio’s cat”.
She was one of those cats who need to sleep right on your face. She was a good friend of Buck, our German Shepherd. She was friendly with all the guests, friends and skateboarders who came to our home in the past 15 years.
I’m sure that if you look among the clothes of your youth you’ll still find her white hairs.

In 15 years you saw me finishing school and university and becoming a man.
Yesterday you left us. I hope it was not too painful. Years ago I promised you wouldn’t suffer.


We’ll still wait for you in our thoughts and dreams.
Rest in peace my beloved little Terrorist <3

Giulietta è arrivata a casa nostra 15 anni fa. Era il 2003, io avevo 17 anni e vivevo in America per il mio anno da exchange student. A portarla a casa era stata Pamela, la ragazza che avevano mandato dagli States al posto mio.
Pamela adottò Giulietta con la promessa di portarla via con sé una volta che il suo anno in Sicilia sarebbe finito. Quando sono tornato a casa, nel giugno 2004, Giulietta era ormai una di famiglia e aveva già guadagnato il nostro amore e il soprannome di “Terrorista” per tutta una serie di delicati soprammobili che aveva frantumato.
Pamela ci mise poco a capire che portare un gatto in un altro continente era una cosa complessa. E visto che ormai erano tutti legati a Giulietta si decise di tenerla.
Con me fu amore a prima vista e in poco tempo diventò “la gatta di Claudio”.
Era una di quei gatti che aveva bisogno di dormirti sulla faccia.

Grande amica di Buck, il nostro pastore tedesco, e di tutti gli ospiti, amici e skaters che negli ultimi 15 anni sono passati da casa nostra.
Sono sicuro che se cercate nei vostri armadi, sui vestiti della vostra adolescenza, troverete i suoi peli bianchi.


In 15 anni mi hai visto finire la scuola, andare all’università e diventare grande.
Ieri te ne sei andata per sempre. Spero tu abbia sofferto poco. Te lo avevo promesso che non ti avrei fatto fare una brutta vecchiaia.


Ti aspettiamo sempre, nei nostri sogni e nei nostri pensieri.
Riposa in pace mia piccola Terrorista <3

MILO

in ,

This is Milo, my new cat. And that's Ivana the woman who rescued him. A few months ago he got hit by a car right in the face, then they put him into a box and abandoned him under the rain. When she found him his jaw was smashed but somehow the vets fixed it. Thanks to x-ray they also found out that before the accident he had swallow a fishing hook and a lead weight. So they had to open up his belly, take everything out and also cut off a piece of his guts.
Eventually Milo recovered, he started eating again and farting a little more than regular cats. This morning he took the ferry along with Angela and Agostino, two very kind humans, to reach his new home in Sicily ♥️ 

NIENTE PAURA

in , ,

My project NIENTE PAURA is now online. It is a personal research about the story of my family.
The words  "niente paura"  mean  "no fear"  and they come from a postcard my grandfather sent to my dad during 1957. At the time my dad was 6 years old and the writing says:
Baci da tuo papà e... niente paura! 
Kisses from you dad and... no fear!

ZIRA IN TIPI BOOKSHOP BOX

in , , ,

When you get a book at Tipi Bookshop it comes in a decorated box made by Andrea Copetti. After I received Afterword by Fukase (wonderful book about his cat) I left the box behind a tent. A few weeks later Zira started collecting her toys inside it and using it to sleep. Read the new interview about Tipi Bookshop HERE !

DA GRANDE FARÒ IL PITTRICE

in , ,

Since I was as little kid I used to spend a lot of time in my mother's studio. She is a painter and she introduced me to drawing. When I was 7 I told her that I wanted to be a painter so she asked me to write it on a piece of paper and put a date on it.
And so I did.
And... the reason why I became a photographer instead of a painter is another story.


"When I'll grow up I'll be a painter" Claudio 18 May 1993

(4 years and half old)

"It's a kid with a little cat, both of them wearing a hat" 3 November 1990 (4 years and 4 months old)

A bee ( 14 July 1991)

Two old men eating at a table (4 years and half old)

An egg with a ribbon (5 years old)