top of page
How can we define what is shared, common, and collective today?
This question guided ESSERE-CON, born from our desire to explore, through photography, the ways we live together in a present marked by crises, distances, transformations, and a growing sense of solitude.
From the start, we wanted to involve other artists in a collective exhibition dedicated to the theme of togetherness. The open call invited photographers and videomakers to present works that investigate gestures, spaces, and relationships that define contemporary community, embracing intimate and social narratives, participatory projects, and experiences that are fleeting or enduring, visible or hidden.
From the open call we received, seven projects — spanning photography and video — have been selected for the exhibition taking place on September 26–27. Curated by the collective in collaboration with Lucrezia Caliani, the show will be hosted at Circolo ARCI La Montanina in Montebeni, Fiesole (FI). More than just an exhibition, the event is conceived as a shared space for reflection and encounter: a moment where artists, the public, and the territory come together in dialogue.
The programme
6:00 pm — Exhibition opens (until 10:30 pm)
6:30 pm — Meet the collective and curator Lucrezia Caliani: presentation and introduction to the exhibition with the participating artists
7:30–8:30 pm — Special Guest: Whatever by Chiara Fossati, Cesura Collective
7:30–10:30 pm — Aperitivo & DJ Set
-
DJ Set: Michelle Davis, Smalto Collective
-
Drinks: Natural Wines by Zonzo Project
-
Food: Aperitivo by Circolo La Montanina (vegetarian/vegan options available)
-
Friday,
September 26
-
Saturday,
September 27
3:00 pm — Exhibition opens (until 10:30 pm)
6:00 pm — Aperitivo & DJ Set
8:30 pm — Closing Dinner, reservation required: sambrecollettivo@gmail.com
-
DJ Set: DRIVE, Dedalo District
-
Drinks: Natural Wines by Zonzo Project
-
Food: Dinner by Circolo La Montanina (vegetarian/vegan options available)
CHIARA
FOSSATI
SPECIAL GUEST
We are delighted to welcome Chiara Fossati, a photographer and visual storyteller who captures reality with delicacy and authenticity.
Chiara Fossati presents: Whatever, an exploration of what it means to belong, of growth, and of self-determination across both the fluidity of languages and corporeal bodies. A work that speaks about bonds, transformations and shared glances — just like “ESSERE-CON”.
Chiara Fossati (Legnano, 1984) Photographer and member of the Cesura collective. Trained at the Studio Fondazione Marangoni in Florence and with a Master’s in Photography and Urban Culture from Goldsmiths College, London, she has collaborated with renowned photographers such as Davide Monteleone and Paolo Ventura.
She received the Pesaresi Award in 2018 for her project Villaggio dei Fiori and a Special Mention WeWorld at the Ponchielli Award in 2022 with Comete! She teaches Contemporary Photography History at IED Milan. Her practice explores youth, community, and marginality, transforming personal experience into universal narratives through powerful and authentic imagery.
Hi, we are SAMBRE!
SAMBRE was born from the desire of six photographers to create a shared space for dialogue around photography. Its name evokes a small but significant river, one that continues to flow despite obstacles, carrying stories of communities that have existed and those yet to come.
We define ourselves as both an artistic and cultural laboratory, nurturing creativity and exchange through spaces for training, production, and the promotion of art. Our values are inclusivity, collaboration, sustainability, cultural quality, and support for emerging talent, with the aim of building strong networks between artists and the wider community.
In a fragmented and constantly changing present, SAMBRE seeks to be a point of connection, where photography and the performing arts intersect to inspire, transform, and foster meaningful relationships. Our passion for art as a shared and social practice drives our desire to cultivate a vibrant, inclusive, and participatory space.
Through our collaboration with Casa del Popolo La Montanina in Montebeni—a cultural stronghold and political workshop—SAMBRE contributes to creating a physical place where community, common goods, and historical memory are celebrated and brought to life.
1/5
In line with this commitment, we invite you to discover the project "Il Sentiero della Ri-Conoscenza" and its journey of memory and community.
We’re always happy to receive questions, proposals, and fresh ideas.
If you’d like to share a project with us, sit down for a conversation, or team up on a collaboration, drop us a line — we love bringing together different skills and visions to create something unique.
Alongside the collective’s artistic projects, we also offer
professional visual services:
-
Fashion photography & editorial shoots
-
Video production for final projects and portfolios
-
High-end photo & video editing
-
Darkroom work, film development, and analog printing
Whether it’s a creative campaign, a personal project, or a servicefor your portfolio, we’re based in Florence and ready to help shapeyour ideas.
Keep in touch!
If you connect with our journey and want to help us grow, consider supporting us with a donation. Your contribution will allow us to give visibility to artists, organize new events, and keep imagining spaces for collective exchange.
Click the link below to donate and become part of this shared experience.
bottom of page