Riccardo Svelto’s Ramingo, A Stirring Visual Tribute To The Complexities Of Adolescence

This visual nature of the work is focused on the relationship between empathy and social dynamics, which are two overarching themes that present themselves in Svelto’s work. “I am interested in trying to understand the emotional interaction and mind shapes we all have, when facing different ages of life and circumstances,” the photographer explains to us. “We can all remember what it is like to be sixteen and feel that particular foggy mix of conflicting emotions, halfway between the love for your family and the desire to leave, or between the search of strong and tight friendship bonds and the feeling of being alone.”

Inspiration behind the project lies in his younger sister Alessia, a teenager herself. As Alessia and her friends navigate such an intimate and enigmatic time in their lives, Svelto is there with his camera, capturing small moments with considerable tenderness. Expertly depicting the curious and attentive nature of his subjects, Svelto draws our focus through their direct gaze into the lens, set against scenes where teenagers are known to spend time in: such as basketball courts, by rivers, or sitting on park benches in public spaces. The title of the series translated from Italian means ‘wandering’ in English, or more metaphorically, “like the young hawk that, waiting to learn how to fly, moves from branch to branch.”