Luisa Pagani’s Analog Journey Through Nordic Seas on MSC Grandiosa

Italian photographer Luisa Pagani (b. 1993, lives in Milan and Paris) traveled through the Nordic seas aboard MSC Crociere’s Grandiosa, the first Meraviglia-plus class vessel launched in 2019. Her journey began in Kiel, Germany, and included stops in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Norwegian towns of Alesund, Hellesylt, and Flåm, with access to Sognefjord, the longest of Norway’s fjords. For Artribune, Pagani created an analog photographic narrative of the voyage, using her father’s Olympus OM1 camera. She describes the experience as unscripted and genuine, capturing whatever caught her attention without premeditation. In Alesund, she photographed locals celebrating Constitution Day (May 17), blending traditional costumes with modern accessories like mirrored cycling glasses and speakers. In the fjords, she focused on vast green landscapes where animals roam freely, as well as interior details such as the Kaffe Haren bookstore in Hellesylt and a shop window on Store Kongensgade in Copenhagen, where she encountered an elegant Parisian visitor. Aboard the ship, her photography explored geometry and spaces, depicting the calm and constant rhythm of life at sea through portholes, decks, and cabins.