ARTIST STATEMENT
In a mountain village in southern Italy resides Pasqualina, an 87-year-old woman whose name means Little Easter. Her days are filled with small rituals that punctuate a sense of anticipation. Each morning, she dresses carefully and waters her roses in her precious garden. On Tuesdays, a lady comes to do her nails. Her candy tray is always full. Yet, no one knocks on her door. Pasqualina lives in a state of limbo between hope and resignation, waiting for a ‘Little Easter’—a renewal that may never arrive. However, she persists in a waiting that mirrors a ‘Waiting for Godot’, reminding us of the dignity in hope and the imperative to recognize those whom society often overlooks. These three photos are part of a broader project capturing the narrative of what happens, or rather doesn’t happen, in Italy’s abandoned provinces in the South of Italy, where loneliness democratically embraces everyone, especially the elderly. Through Pasqualina’s perspective and the details of her home, the artist delves into the resilience of those existing on the periphery—forgotten but not defeated.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Malìa is a Creative Duo, based between Milan and Brooklyn. Our work revolves around documenting stories creating narratives that focus on unveiling the context and emotions in which the individuals we have the privilege of encountering live, shape, and move through. The Great Game, a reportage covering the issues of oil in Ecuador and its impact on indigenous populations, was featured on Inside Over – Inside the News Over the World, in 2020. We are currently working on our first documentary: Agua, which was shot in summer 2022 along the US/Mexico border, while also focusing on other long term photo-based projects.
© Malìa