Nicola Ducati's Photographic Journey into India's Steel Foundries
Italian photographer Nicola Ducati documents the harsh reality of steel foundries in northern India, near the Pakistani border on the Arabian Sea. His project 'Steel Life' (2019) captures the dangerous, sweltering environment where workers dismantle ship hulls and recycle metal. Access required special permits from local authorities and property owners. Ducati describes the constant fear of injury, the deafening noise, and the black soot covering everything. Workers live in a circular routine: waking early, preparing meals, washing clothes, then enduring shifts that end with a siren at sunset. The photographer notes that while metal is transformed and redeemed, the men remain trapped in a predetermined fate, yet he encountered curious eyes and friendly smiles. The reportage was published on Artribune, an Italian contemporary art platform founded in 2011.
Key facts
- Nicola Ducati photographed steel foundries in northern India near the Pakistani border on the Arabian Sea.
- The project 'Steel Life' was created in 2019 using digital photography, 60x40 cm.
- Access required special permits from property owners and local government.
- Workers dismantle old ship hulls from around the world, cutting, melting, and transforming metal.
- The environment is extremely hot, with smoking steel, deafening noise, and black soot.
- Workers live on-site, with a daily routine of meals, laundry, and shifts ending at sunset.
- Ducati felt constant fear of injury and had to learn to navigate the dangerous space.
- The reportage was published on Artribune, an Italian art and culture platform founded in 2011.
Entities
Artists
- Nicola Ducati
Institutions
- Artribune
Locations
- India
- Pakistan
- Arabian Sea