Aerial Narratives and Human Connections : In Conversation with Italian Photographer Jacopo Di Cera

Jacopo Di Cera

In today's interview, we are thrilled to sit down with Jacopo Di Cera, an artist who redefines the boundaries of photography through his innovative movement, Photomaterism. He has exhibited his work at notable MIA Photo Fair, Les Rencontres d’Arles, Venice Biennale, and Art Dubai, among the other established events.

- Your journey into photography is fascinating. What, or who, inspired you to become a photographer, and how did your early mentors shape your artistic vision?

J.: I began studying photography the day after I moved from Milan to Rome in 2004. My journey started with travel and observation- driven by a need to document, understand, and translate what I was experiencing: contradictions in lifestyle and traditions. Early on, I was deeply influenced by master photographers like Luigi Ghirri, Ugo Mulas, and Sebastião Salgado. Later, I had the opportunity to spend time at workshop with Oliviero Toscani, which completely transformed my artistic perspective. But more than any individual influence, my photo journey has always been driven by study. I believe that for any artist, rigorous study is the foundation of true artistic research.

- You pioneered Photomaterism, a movement that transforms photography into a tactile, multisensory experience. Can you explain the philosophy behind it and how it challenges traditional perceptions of photography?

J.: Photomaterism began with a question: Why must photography be limited to sight alone? We live in an increasingly dematerialized world—flooded with images, yet rarely touched by them. I wanted to reintroduce matter into the image.

Photomaterism transforms photography into a multisensory experience: texture, sound, even temperature can become part of the artwork. It shifts the viewer from spectator to participant, challenging the traditional idea of photography as something “flat” or frozen. Instead, it becomes alive, immersive, and physical. The materic element becomes part of the project, it’s integral to the work’s meaning. Without it, most of the energy disappears.

- Your early projects, like “Fino alla fine del Mare” on the migrant crisis and “Il rumore dell’assenza” on the Amatrice earthquake, confront profound social issues. What drew you to these themes?

J.: I’ve always believed that photography carries a responsibility — to witness, to preserve, and to reveal.

With "Fino alla fine del Mare", I was struck by the silence surrounding the migrant crisis. The Mediterranean had become a place of disappearance, and I wanted to create a journey that would provoke sustained reflection on this urgent topic. I combined wood and resin with abstract photography- no human images, only suggestive elements to guide the observer through the migrants’ journey, echoing Ulysses, echoing any single human that needs to move away from his place to find another life somewhere else.

With "Il rumore dell’assenza", I documented the aftermath of the Amatrice earthquake, focusing not on destruction, but on what remained.

Both projects were driven by the need to use photography as a space of memory, empathy, and resistance.

Photo from Fino alla fine del Mare Series. Image Courtesy of the Artist

- Your latest project, Sospesi, explores Italy’s suspended identity through contrasting perspectives. What was the creative process like, and where will this exhibition travel next?

J.: Sospesi was born from a desire to explore Italy from a different perspective— suspended between past and present, between seasons, between the collective and the individual. The zenithal perspective flattens the depth of field, placing everyone on the same plane and creating a kind of social democratization.

This perspective reveals human interconnectionsm showing how together we generate a shared energy — a different kind of movement. From above, we may appear small, it’s true, but we are deeply connected to one another, and to the land beneath us.

The project debuted at Maison Bosi in Rome, on November 2024, and then traveled to Mia Photo Fair in Milan (March 2025) and Art Dubai (April 2025).

Red Flag from Sospesi Series, 2021. Image Courtesy of the Artist

- Beyond fine art, you collaborate with fashion and luxury brands like GCDS, Attico, and QC Terme. How do these projects influence your artistic practice, and do you have a favorite collaboration?

J.: Working with brands allows me to translate my visual language into different ontexts- it’s a way to bring art into more immediate, living spaces.

My two-year collaboration with QC Terme, for example, led us to develop an audiovisual language that plays with stillness and blooming, blending nature, architecture, and the human form. We reinterpreted their extremely strong brand identity through a new way of communicationand a frash visual perspective.

Each collaboration teaches me something new about tempo, rhythm, and materiality.

- What can we expect from you next? Are there upcoming projects you can share?

J.: I’m working on a new series focused on shadows and winter Olympic disciplines, captured from above. It’s a continuation of my obsession with bodies, movement, and absence.

Simultaneously, I'm deeply engaged with Retreat, a project commissioned by Art Dubai that addresses climate change. The installation will be featured in an upcoming exhibition with a strong focus on this important and critical topic.

Retreat by Jacopo Di Cera x CIFRA, Art Dubai, 2025. Image Courtesy of the Artist