“Traces” is a collective and reflective photographic project born from the residency experience of Vanessa Winship and George Georgiou in Sardinia, carried out as part of the sixth edition of The Photo Solstice, the international photography festival promoted by Fondazione di Sardegna and the platform AR/S – Arte Condivisa, curated by Marco Delogu. Exhibited at the Fondazione di Sardegna in Cagliari between June and September 2024, the project focuses on the exploration of the western coast and inland areas of the island, offering a careful and profound view of contemporary Sardinia, far removed from stereotypical or touristic representations of the island.
The work of Winship and Georgiou is rooted in a long-standing artistic collaboration. Since 1999, the British duo have worked together on long-term projects spanning portraiture, landscape, reportage, and documentary photography across Eastern Europe, Turkey, the Black Sea region, and the United States, developing a slow and meditative approach to observing places and the people who inhabit them.
In “Traces”, this research takes on a new dimension: the island is interpreted as a territory of historical and social stratifications, where traces of the past and tensions of the present intertwine within coastal landscapes, inland villages, signs of industrial archaeology, and human geographies. Following personal and unconventional routes, Winship and Georgiou document the territory with delicacy and sensitivity, capturing moments of stillness, silences, and seemingly marginal details that reveal the complexity of Sardinian identity.
The publication released by Punctum Press forms part of the broader editorial output produced by The Photo Solsticeand Fondazione di Sardegna, which over the years has accompanied exhibitions with catalogues and volumes dedicated to the “Sardinia Commissions.” Rather than functioning solely as a visual record of the exhibition, the book positions itself as a space for reflection on contemporary photography, bringing images into dialogue with critical texts and allowing a wider audience to engage with the meanings and motivations behind the artists’ work.
“Traces” thus stands as a significant example of contemporary authorial photography: through its intertwining of field experience, engagement with place, and visual reflection, it offers a complex and sensitive narrative of present-day Sardinia, inviting viewers to slow their gaze and attend to the subtle traces of memory and transformation that run through the island.
Vanessa Winship and George Georgiou, Traces
Hardcover 26x29 cm, 156 pages, Punctum Press
isbn 978-8895-410-61-6
