Location: KUWAIT

This visual exploration is a journey to another planet. Tiàwùk is a planet located in a quite close galaxy to us, it is small compared to the earth and the environmental condition are extreme but enough suitable for the growing and the adaptation of the human life. After 500 years of astronomical observation humanity for the first time and another planet with human life and this is its visual documentation. This planet is inhabited by 4 million people and only 6% of the land is cultivable. The real citizens are just about 1 million and the other inhabitants are expats who are working there from others close planets. According to our still incomplete informations, the planet has been recently colonized and after many years, a secret source of energy was discovered: in a really small amount time has became one of the richness in the all universe. Some part of the population, which has discovered just recently the economical wealth, according to our observations, is suffering a psychological disorder which the symptoms can be find in a materialist and dystopian vision of their surrounding world. According to the theories of some of the most important terrestrial psychologist and psychiatrist of the 20th century, we know as the exterior world we create and live is a reflection of our inner world and we know also that the lack of inner awareness and the attachment are the sources of the suffering and project human mind in the material world. Because of many causes, Tiàwùk shows us as capitalism and materialism (the universe is small) can distort our vision of the life and the reality surround us. We thought we were the only one to have this problems, but Tiawuk’s discovery and exploration gave us the sense of the universality of the issue. We are not alone.

ABOUT GABRIELE CECCONI

Gabriele Cecconi is an Italian documentary photographer interested in cultural, political and environmental issues. He approached photography after a law degree and in 2015 he was selected by Camera Torino and Leica for a masterclass with Magnum photographer Alex Webb. 

His project on the environmental impact of Rohingya migration in southern Bangladesh has received numerous international awards including the Yves Rocher Photography Award, POY, Andrei Stenin Grand Prix and the LUMIX Sustainability Award among others. 

His work has been exhibited internationally in museums, festivals and galleries including the Hermitage State Museum, the United Nations Headquarters, Photo Vogue Festival and it has been published by italian and international magazines including National Geographic, The Guardian, Internazionale, L’Espresso,Newsweek and Courrier International. 

At the same time he carries out research on the relationship between culture, power and representation and on the spiritual and pedagogical aspects of the visual arts.