Massimo Vicinanza and Marco Maraviglia are two Neapolitan photographers who have always been a bit outside the box. For over 20 years, they have worked as freelancers for publishing and communication, often crossing paths during their professional lives. About a year ago, they had a convergence of views that materialized into a sort of manifesto for photography: PhotoPolisNapoli, photography on a human scale.
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Their idea of photography follows the concepts of sustainability, ethics, social issues, and the network trends of recent years. They activate Pay for Piece, low-cost “anti-crisis” photography courses where you can follow only the lessons that interest you; they are the first in Italy to talk about byte-pollution from the excessive production of photographic files; they support “useful” photography and through their Facebook page; they launch brief reflective thoughts on photography.
Their latest initiative is the participatory calendar 2013, one of the rare cases where photographers organize a promotional operation without being the protagonists but only the creators, organizers, and coordinators.
- The idea of the participatory calendar seems original.
Marco
In fact, I thought it was a stroke of genius, but then I found online a well-known coffee company that had done something similar coordinated by an American artist, but that was at a high level, a multimedia calendar.
Massimo
Yes, the idea isn’t that original. Given the times we live in, ideas are in the air, and things come to mind because a multitude of information, especially from the web, associates with each other.
Marco
However, what is quite original is the fact that normally a group of photographers organizing an initiative cannot separate their organizational skills from that sense of protagonism that leads them to be active participants. And instead…
Massimo
Here, Marco and I are the only two excluded, the only ones not able to participate with our own photos, while the initiative is open to all photographers, professionals and amateurs. Or at least to all those who managed to hear about it.
- The theme is “Italian Women“, don’t you think that’s precisely what’s unoriginal?
Marco
(laughs) there are plenty of calendars of women, but few, very few of ordinary women, those next door, those you meet at the supermarket or behind the counters of public offices. Here we don’t want to make a glamour calendar, but a calendar that represents the REAL Italian woman, perhaps set in a characteristic context that also highlights our Italian landscapes, too often neglected by cultural, tourism, and environmental policies.
Massimo
In reality, there is another purpose: it is a tribute to those who for years have been violated not only physically but also psychologically, are set aside, suffer harassment, are victims of stalking. I am of the opinion that the more women are shown in their real, everyday aspects, the more awareness and knowledge are stimulated in those who are accustomed to bar discussions about women.
- How many copies will the calendar be printed in? Who will it be given to?
Massimo
It will be printed in an unlimited number of copies because we will not be printing it, but those who see it online and say ‘it’s beautiful, I’ll download it and print it myself.’ And so we will never know how many copies will be printed, but we will know how many people will have seen it online.
Marco
Indeed, it should be specified that, once completed, it will be put online, viewable, downloadable, and printable by anyone under a Creative Commons license (commercialization and modification to add unauthorized trademarks will be prohibited) on servers like Calameo or Scribd, so as to be able to track the number of views. We are not interested in wasting paper, printing inks, and money on something that might fall into the hands of those who don’t appreciate the product; it would be ecologically unsustainable. The important thing is that it can potentially be seen by everyone, and those who appreciate it can print it at any digital print shop on the type of paper they prefer,from anywhere in the world.
- So, no one pays, no one is paid. Is it all free?
Marco
Of course. It’s a zero-cost operation for us and for the photographers who will be selected. If their photo deserves it, it will be noticed by someone, and they will be contacted by the author via email, Skype, or by phone because, in addition to credits, we will also include the photographer’s contact information.
- And what do you gain from it?
Massimo
We are in an era where things done don’t necessarily have to bring in money. We work for the brand through strategies that can give a positive image feedback to our ‘human-scale’ movement, even if here we are talking about women (laughs). PhotoPolis was born just a year ago; it’s a creation that needs to become known by pursuing its objectives. There are institutions and foundations that finance cultural projects to promote their brand. We finance this initiative with our enthusiasm and organizational skills; money is not needed, just a computer and an internet connection, which we already have.
Marco
The time that wespend on it will surely be repaid with very precious compliments, very useful because they are good for health and in any case our mission also includes spreading seeds of generosity without expecting anything in return. It’s part of our viral program (laughs).
- You are both long-winded, briefly, how do you participate?
Marco and Massimo
(in unison) www.photopolisnapoli.org and on the homepage click on the poster ‘calendar 2013’.
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