“SANITA’”

Location: Napoli (IT)

The “Rione Sanità” was built in the 16th century, in a quarry used as a burial place during the Greco-Roman period. The strong link between inhabitants and death is one of the distinctive features of the neighborhood, as witnessed by the many places of worship. The district, born as a residence place for noble and aristocratic families, has become one of the poorest in Naples due to the construction of the “Ponte Sanità” (later called “Ponte Maddalena Cerasuolo”). The bridge, built by the French between 1806 and 1809 and created to connect the Royal Palace of Capodimonte to the rest of the city, has excluded the neighborhood from the life of the latter, creating a ghetto in the heart of it. The “Rione Sanità” is developed in a depression: it is an urban reality in itself, which is not necessary to cross to move from one side of the city to another. This isolation, exacerbated by lack of integration and development policies, has led to the proliferation of various social problems such as unemployment, lack of schools with consequent school evasion, presence of criminal organizations.At the same time, the district has retained its identity. Among the inhabitants of the “Rione Sanità” has grown a strong sense of belonging only scratched on the surface by modernity. The district welcomes a vast humanity with different geographical origins and different personal stories. This diversity is a wealth. There is not only marginality, but also an extraordinary vitality; an artistic historical heritage of considerable importance, human and interpersonal skills, of a very high level. My project focuses on the Rione’s life in its intimate and sweet fold. The black and white features of a perennially painful humanity come out of the shadow showing intense relationships of love.My images want giving back the best part of that meat that can also be bestial. Sometimes in these alleys,the love succeeds in the miracle of turning desperation into beauty. The “Rione Sanità” is solitude and love, irony and tragedy, faith and sin. The contrasts generate surreal existences. The street and the house merge together, the private becomes public and the public hides the secrets of the private. Silence is a rare gift for these alleys, but in its revelation you rediscover the naked and immense soul of a forgotten humanity.

ABOUT CIRO BATTILORO

Ciro Battiloro (Torre del Greco, 1984) is an italian photorapher based in Napoli.

He studied philosophy at “Federico II” University of Napoli and after he specialized in documentary photography.For a long time he has photographed outside Italy, traveling in Africa (especially Senegal and Morocco), Iran, Macedonia, Turkey, Romania.

His work is an overall analysis on the human being and how the relationships, lived in contexts of discomfort and social neglect can reveal their real nature and give birth to an unexpected beauty. He uses a very intimate approach and throught everyday life he discusses more general’s social thematics.

In particular his research of the last years is focused on some southern Italy neighborhoods(Rione Sanità in Napoli,Quartiere Santa Lucia,Cosenza) that after historical processes and building polices,suffered from a gradual ghettoization

In 2015 he took part in the 2nd edition of LAB, Irregular Laboratory created by Antonio Biasiucci.

In 2017 he was selected for the artistic residency Bocs Art – International Artistic Residences 2017

His works have been published in several magazines and been exposed in different museum/galleries.