Christian Gattinoni on SI Fest, Photography Education, and French Success

Christian Gattinoni, artistic director of SI Fest in Savignano sul Rubicone, discusses the festival's mission to combat 'image illiteracy' in an age of easy photography. He emphasizes the need to educate young people on the difference between a selfie and a self-portrait, which requires technical skill and intentionality. Gattinoni attributes France's success in establishing photography as an art form to Robert Delpire's affordable Photoproche series in the 1980s and the Ministry of Culture's school programs, contrasting this with Italy's lack of similar initiatives. He began collaborating with SI Fest seven years ago as a portfolio reviewer, praising its organization and high-quality exhibitions. Beyond SI Fest, Gattinoni is launching the Festival de la photographie sociale in Carcassonne from November 14 to December 15, focusing on hybrid works blending fiction and documentary, where photographers spend months in the field incorporating sociology, medicine, psychology, and expressive languages like sound and word.