Visual anthropology, documentary photography and cultural storytelling across four decades.
Work
Ongoing Projects
Mothers of Marmo Platano
Bedroom Stories of Motherhood in Basilicata
2023 – ongoing
Long-form photo-ethnographic project documenting eleven mothers across seven mountain towns in the Marmo Platano region. Through bedroom portraits and audio testimonies, exploring motherhood, intimate domestic spaces and the transmission of matrilineal knowledge.
Currently exhibiting:
Open Space APT, Matera (Italy) | 10 Nov – 10 Dec 2025
Festive Costumes & Cultural Identity
Research in Basilicata
Ongoing
Visual documentation exploring the relationship between traditional dress, festive rituals and contemporary cultural identity in small communities across Basilicata. Part of broader research into how material culture carries memory and meaning across generations.
Past Projects
Suspicions, Perspectives & Edges
2005 – 2015
Street photography across Italy, UK, Netherlands and Thailand exploring human emotions and unexpected connections.
Artificial Burden of Representation
2018
Macro photography series exploring hidden dimensions within stones and seemingly inert materials.
Soulscapes
1988 – 2004
Long-exposure experimental photography exploring multiple timelines and perceptions of time.
Earlier Work
1988 – 1999
Early photographic work beginning at age 14 with father’s Topcon camera. Family portraits and experimental photography.
ACMA
2005
Experimental documentary short film (4’28”) exploring mental health, medication and personal determination.
Research in Progress
Future projects exploring cultural heritage, territorial memory and visual anthropology in Southern Italy. Updates announced through newsletter and social channels.
Mothers of Marmo Platano
Open Space APT, Matera (Italy)
10 Nov – 10 Dec 2025
Occasional updates on exhibitions, fieldwork, and new publications. No noise, just the essentials.
Have a cultural project, archive, or territory to explore? Get in touch or book a short call to discuss a possible collaboration.
Francesco Carvelli
Creative direction, visual anthropology & cultural strategy