
Nicola Lo Calzo: Binidittu

Exhibition
May 27- Jul 18, 2021
CAMERA – Centro Italiano per la Fotografia
San Benedetto, Benedict of Palermo, São Benedito, Binidittu — the man, born Benedetto Manasseri to enslaved Africans in Sicily in 1524, is known by many names, and as a unique figure of defiance and self-determination… Binidittu, by Nicola Lo Calzo (b. 1979, Italy), is an intricate series that examines the condition of contemporary African migrants in the Meditteranean by virtue of the unifying figure of Saint Benedict, and translates into a contemplative journey through the fields of representation and alienation.
The exhibition, curated by Giangavino Pazzola, unfolds along an exhibition itinerary split up into four chapters and, through some thirty medium/large-format images, traces the main stages of Binidittu’s life: from his release from slavery to his death, from post-racist utopia to beatification. Lo Calzo’s photographs are accompanied by an installation featuring archive materials and documents showing how the project was pieced together.
For more information about the exhibition, visit their website.
Nicola Lo Calzo was interviewed by GUP about his project Binidittu earlier this year. You can read the interview here.