I'm thrilled to announce that the Cobalt Chapter from the "Critical Minerals - Geography of Energy” project has been selected as a finalist at the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards.
I am delighted to announce that I will unveil four new pieces from the "Critical Minerals - Geography of Energy" series at Arte Fiera 2024 at Galleria Valeria Bella.
I am proud to announce that two of my images were selected for the National Geographic Picture of the Year issue, a format that summarizes the finest work of hundreds of NatGeo photographers on the field.
You can check them all out at this link.
One of the images of 'Sinomocene' is the cover of AidData's new Belt and Road Reboot report.
I enjoyed attending the National Geographic Festival in Milan, whose theme this year was “Capitale Naturale” (Natural Capital)…
"100 River OB" will be displayed at Galleria Valeria Bella, boot E05, on the occasion of Paris Photo, from November 9th to November 12th, 2023.
The French edition of National Geographic has got in touch to create a “Behind the scenes” insert, in which they asked me to tell the story behind one of the pictures of my series about Carbon Removal. It was fun to retrace the process which led to the creation of one of the most curious images in the project.
Click here to read the full article.
Last year, I had the honor to be invited to the TEDX Milano to talk about my experience documenting the development of science to reach a cleaner future and to raise awareness about the current dynamics of the energetic green transition. The recording of the live evening is finally available online, and it can be seen here.
Last year, I embarked on multiple trips throughout Europe with my team to visit some of the leading institutions in the field of CCUS technologies. The result of this work is now released in the National Geographic Magazine’s November issue as a cover story.
A few weeks ago I spent a couple of days documenting the innovative and young company Alps Blockchain, on assignment for Wired.
In the beautiful scenery of the Italian Alps, I got to know a new, interesting entrepreneurial reality that will probably go a long way in its chosen field.
An image of my long-term project "Sinomocene" has been included in Prix Pictet's publication "Human", a selection of outstanding photographs by both shortlisted and non-shortlisted nominees that best reflect the current cycle's theme.
Published by Hatje Cantz the publication includes a foreword by Sir David King, Chairman of the Prix Pictet Jury, together with essays by David Christian & Meehan Crist.
I had the pleasure to be invited to Langhe Photo Festival, in Neive (CN), to exhibit a selection of my work Sinomocene and to hold a lecture, on September 3rd.
Sinomocene will be on display at Ragusa Photo Festival from July 20th to August 27th, 2023.
For more info, please visit the festival's website here.
My work Sinomocene will be displayed at the 2023 edition of Cargo - Les Photographiques De Saint-Nazaire, from June 29th to October 1st.
This year's theme is « Crossings », to suggest a wandering soul turned towards others and beyond. Saint Nazaire offers a vast horizon where spectators can immerse themselves in an imaginative itinerary from sea to sea, sea to land, beach to beach, or dream to geopolitical reality.
In a few months, I will spend 5 days in the Polesine area conducting a masterclass created in collaboration with Hoombra, a brand-new educational platform that develops exclusive training paths.
By plunging into a collective visual documentation of the Polesine area, this opportunity will allow attendees to learn how to portray a peculiar landscape, practicing their ability to find a unique and compelling point of view.
The masterclass aims to assist and guide students build an engaging documentary narrative, focusing on well-defined stories that address real and relevant issues.
The masterclass will be held from September 27th to October 1st, 2023, in Valliera di Adria (RO), Italy.
For more info, please click here.
My work on Sardinia's sustainable communities is being exhibited at Green&Blue Festival, in a review dedicated to Italian energy communities and consumer groups.
This project has been developed with the help of KindOF management. It aims to investigate Italy's first and most significant energy communities, in the hinterland of Middle Campidano Sardinia.
This third Dossier is dedicated to oil and gas photo books from the Artphilein Library collection. It is part of our long-time research and collection of documentation of the exploitation of natural resources (in 2022 the first chapter was dedicated to mining rocks, minerals and coal). By viewing the books on display, scrolling through the images of the covers of the books reproduced here with a short caption, reading Davide Monteleone’s text, looking at his photographs, as well as Marco D’Anna’s disturbing shots featured at the beginning and end of this publication, the viewer will get a much clearer idea of the many problems and risks associated with the exploitation of oil and gas.
On the occasion of the 2023 edition of Photo London I will exhibit the first edition of “100 River Ob” at the stand of the Valeria Bella Gallery.
On the occasion of the review 'Photobooks | Dialogues on books and images' curated by Giulia Viale, I will present the book “Sinomocene” at the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa together with Matteo Macor.
I am proud to announce that I have been chosen as one of the five National Geographic Explorers who will document the global climate crisis through funding provided by the National Geographic Society’s Global Storytellers Fund.
The project is a result of the collaboration between the Society and The Climate Pledge, a commitment to reach net-zero carbon by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement.
The NG Society is cooperating with The Climate Pledge to fund a total of 15 Explorers by 2024 to document the global climate crisis through authentic storytelling, illuminate the world’s most critical challenges, and identify long-lasting solutions that can protect the wonder of our world.
My work will focus on the geopolitical, social and environmental implications of skyrocketing demand for critical minerals necessary to achieve renewable energy’s goals.
December cover story on the future of mobility for Wired Italia.
I will be one of the speakers at TEDXMILANO where I will discuss my assignment in progress about CO2 for National Geographic and my experience as a visual storyteller covering climate and energy issues.
I will be signing my new book Sinomocene published by Artphilein at Polycopies in Paris during Paris Photo on Friday November 14th at 5pm.
A selection of my prints will be displayed at Galleria Valeria Bella, stand E13, on the occasion of Paris Photo 2022.
Sandarmoch, Imperium, 2019. 120x150cm ed. 4/8. ©Davide Monteleone
“The landscapes in Davide Monteleone’s images of China’s belt and road initiative are very familiar to me. We can see desert, uninhabited wasteland and views along the Yangtze River and in north-west China. There are also photographs showing the characters “Stay strong, Wuhan!” on skyscrapers in neon lights.
They are reminiscent of images I took in China, which captured dilapidated cities before they were rebuilt; energy plants; the development of impoverished areas and large-scale architecture. […]
Monteleone’s photographs are broad in scope and encompass many stories and strange landscapes. The Italian photographer began his project in Russia in 2014 before visiting vast rail and road projects across Asia; container ports; factories; casinos; and the Grand Renaissance dam in Ethiopia. The images clearly depict China’s strategic ambitions, very different from the original Silk Road, which operated from around 130BC until the mid-15th century. The Silk Road was a network of trade routes, whereas the belt and road initiative embeds a political ambition beyond commerce. The issue in question here is: who will be the centre of the world? Who will rise to world power?”
Ai Weiwei
“The landscapes in Davide Monteleone’s images of China’s belt and road initiative are very familiar to me. We can see desert, uninhabited wasteland and views along the Yangtze River and in north-west China. There are also photographs showing the characters “Stay strong, Wuhan!” on skyscrapers in neon lights.
They are reminiscent of images I took in China, which captured dilapidated cities before they were rebuilt; energy plants; the development of impoverished areas and large-scale architecture. […]
Monteleone’s photographs are broad in scope and encompass many stories and strange landscapes. The Italian photographer began his project in Russia in 2014 before visiting vast rail and road projects across Asia; container ports; factories; casinos; and the Grand Renaissance dam in Ethiopia. The images clearly depict China’s strategic ambitions, very different from the original Silk Road, which operated from around 130BC until the mid-15th century. The Silk Road was a network of trade routes, whereas the belt and road initiative embeds a political ambition beyond commerce. The issue in question here is: who will be the centre of the world? Who will rise to world power?”
Ai Weiwei
“While there has been concern raised in the West, recently, regarding a possible end of Globalization as we know it, Davide Monteleone’s long-term project investigates the immense efforts by China to reshape the global movement of goods, services and capital by an infrastructure initiative known as “Belt and Road” or “New Silk Road”, and by doing so tilt the geopolitical balance towards the East. However, there is a certain break between the economic and geopolitical processes at work and how they are manifested in the real world. Much of it remains simply invisible or is too all-encompassing to be pictured, which poses a challenge to an artist working in photography and interested in presenting us with more than the facts. But Monteleone finds intriguing images that back up his extensive research and rich data that informs his stunning photographs.”
“Vor bald zehn Jahren startete China seine Belt-and-Road-Initiative. Viel beschrieben, bleibt sie schwer greifbar. Der italienische Fotograf Davide Monteleone dokumentiert die physische Seite des Megaprojekts.”
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"Almost ten years ago, China launched its Belt and Road Initiative. Much described, it remains elusive. Italian photographer Davide Monteleone documents the physical side of the mega-project."
"Sinomocene" is a data-driven investigation that takes its cue from the documentation of the Chinese initiative known as "Belt and Road" to investigate more widely on issues of new forms of colonialism, globalisation and relation between Powers and individuals. The work focuses on the social and environmental impact of large movements of money capital linked to geopolitical strategies at the global and local levels. Announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, BRI is a 1 trillion USD investment to lay the foundations for long-term economic growth across developing economies.
The book, published by Artphilein Editions is the result of 8 years of work and contains texts by Ai Weiwei, Viraj Parikh, Miriam Zlobinski.
it will be available by the end of August.
I’m honoured to announce that my proposal “Critical Minerals and Energy Switch” received a two-year grant from the National Geographic Society. The project is a multichapter and collaborative visual investigation into the roots of the new industrial revolution underway: the switch to renewable energy. The initial part of the project will focus on the geopolitical, social and environmental implications of skyrocketing demand for critical minerals necessary to archive renewable energy’s goal.
