Developed in collaboration with the Municipality of Oppido Mamertina, the workshop proposes a slow and reflective approach to photography as a way of caring for a gaze saturated by contemporary visual overload, and of nourishing it through the beauty and tranquillity of the surrounding landscape.


Over the course of five days, between Oppido Mamertina and the former Zervò sanatorium, participants will engage with photographic, cyanotype, performative and relational practices, alternating moments of image-making, walking, discussion, reading, free time and attentive observation of the territory.

Built in 1925 in the heart of Aspromonte, the former sanatorium becomes a place of temporary coexistence and shared inquiry: an isolated space immersed in the forest, where participants are invited to reflect on the relationship between images, attention, memory and presence.

More than producing photographs, the workshop seeks to create the conditions for seeing differently.

Participants will be guided by Giulia Ticozzi and Giuseppe Fanizza of Studio Figure, whose practice explores photography in dialogue with landscape, place and local communities.


Workshop coordination by Emma Filippi.

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WHO IS IT FOR
The workshop is open to photographers, artists, and anyone interested in contemporary visual practices with a basic knowledge of photography and digital image processing.

It is designed for those who wish to immerse themselves in a photographic practice shaped by a close relationship with the landscape, shared time, and ongoing collective exchange. 

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OBJECTIVES
The workshop aims to foster a thoughtful relationship with the territory and its local communities, using photography as a tool for observation, listening and engagement.

The experience will combine fieldwork with moments of discussion, editing, reading and collective reflection, while also leaving space for conviviality and direct contact with the natural landscape.

Throughout the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to:

• explore photography as a practice of research and connection 
• experiment with collective approaches and shared working processes 
• critically reflect on their own visual language 
• engage with the natural and cultural landscape of Aspromonte 
• temporarily inhabit an isolated place immersed in nature, slowing down their pace and rhythms 
• develop and present a public outcome based on the work produced during the workshop

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REQUIREMENTS

• interest in visual, relational and participatory artistic practices 
• willingness to engage in dialogue and take part in the collective life of the residency 
• a digital camera or smartphone 
• a computer for post-production and image management (optional) 
• proficiency in either Italian or English

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WORKSHOP TUTORS
Studio Figure is a photography research and production project founded in Milan in 2021 by Giulia Ticozzi and Giuseppe Fanizza. Through photography, editing, curatorial practice and participatory methodologies, the studio develops projects exploring social landscapes, border dynamics, processes of urban regeneration and contemporary systems of production.

Recent projects include: an investigation supported by the EU Journalism Fund into the unfulfilled promises of decarbonisation in the city of Milan; a participatory work on the landscape of Atena Lucana commissioned by Archivio Atena; a workshop dedicated to the impact of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games as part of the Photography and Multimedia Languages programme at CFP Bauer – Afol Metropolitana; and a project aimed at the iconographic reconfiguration of the Gallaratese district, developed in collaboration with visual sociologist Carla Sedini, the Kublaiklan collective, and the associations Argòt and Spaziotempo. 

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THE PLACES

Aspromonte
At the southernmost tip of the Italian peninsula, where the Mediterranean seems to open towards other geographies and cultures, Aspromonte emerges as a rich and layered territory, home to some of Calabria’s most striking landscapes.

Its relationship with the Mediterranean is constant, not only in geographical terms but also as a cultural horizon. In the inland villages, traces, languages and imaginaries shaped over centuries continue to survive.

To move through this territory is to encounter a landscape capable of influencing one’s gaze, rhythm and very way of inhabiting a place.

Zervò
Situated at an altitude of around 1,100 metres and surrounded by an extensive beech forest, the former Zervò sanatorium is a place marked by memory and isolation. Built in the early twentieth century as a tuberculosis sanatorium, it was restored and transformed into a place of hospitality after decades of abandonment.

Today, the site is managed by the Il Segno Social Cooperative and welcomes groups, travellers and hikers exploring the trails of Aspromonte.

Oppido Mamertina
Perched on a hill overlooking the Gioia Tauro Plain, Oppido Mamertina retains the layered character of Calabria’s inland towns, places where time appears to move according to a different rhythm.

Rebuilt several times following the earthquakes that have shaped the history of the area, the town still carries within its urban fabric the memory of rupture and renewal.

Oppido invites visitors to engage with a complex and deeply human geography, shaped by slow relationships, silences and enduring forms of belonging.

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REGISTRATION, FEES AND PAYMENT
To register, please complete the online form form by 5 August 2026.

The participation fee is €400 and includes accommodation in a shared double room as well as all meals throughout the workshop.

Once participation has been confirmed, a deposit of €200 will be required to secure your place. The deposit is non-refundable.

Bank Transfer Details
Account Name: Ulteriore APS
Via Galileo Ferraris is. 74 n. 5, Reggio Calabria
P. IVA/C.F.: 03343210807
IBAN: IT49K0306909606100000414757 

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HOW TO GET THERE
Participants are expected to make their own travel arrangements to Reggio Calabria, arriving by 4:00 pm on the first day of the workshop, or alternatively arrange their arrival in Lamezia Terme. From that point onwards, transportation to Zervò will be organised by the workshop team.

By air
Reggio Calabria “Tito Minniti” Airport
Lamezia Terme “Sant’Eufemia” International Airport

By train
Reggio Calabria Central Station
Lamezia Terme Central Station

By Coach
Reggio Calabria is connected to major Italian cities through several long-distance coach services, including FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus.

By car
Zervò can be reached via the A2 Autostrada del Mediterraneo motorway.
Geographic coordinates: 38.2156826, 16.1509021