December, 2021
Francesco Merlini recounts the reminiscence of the disaster that struck Tbilisi in 2015. People died, many families were left homeless, the zoo was destroyed, and the city shocked. The capital of Georgia became a desert filled with dangerous beasts. The zoo has lost more than 300 animals. An influential head of the Georgian Orthodox Church blamed the floods on the "sin" of the former communist regime, which built the zoo using money raised from destroying churches and melting down their bells—a divine punishment. The reality is less grotesque, and the floods break through the defenses erected by men worldwide. Nature advances beyond the illusions of being able to contain it. Merlini's photographs move on this threshold of uncertainty, on a precarious balance, in which the clamor of the debacle seems overshadowed by a gray patina of oblivion.
December, 2021
Francesco Merlini recounts the reminiscence of the disaster that struck Tbilisi in 2015. People died, many families were left homeless, the zoo was destroyed, and the city shocked. The capital of Georgia became a desert filled with dangerous beasts. The zoo has lost more than 300 animals. An influential head of the Georgian Orthodox Church blamed the floods on the "sin" of the former communist regime, which built the zoo using money raised from destroying churches and melting down their bells—a divine punishment. The reality is less grotesque, and the floods break through the defenses erected by men worldwide. Nature advances beyond the illusions of being able to contain it. Merlini's photographs move on this threshold of uncertainty, on a precarious balance, in which the clamor of the debacle seems overshadowed by a gray patina of oblivion.
Steve Bisson is an educator, curator, and writer. He is the Chair of Photography at the Paris College of Art and co-founder of the international program Blurring the Lines, which fosters intra-academic dialogue and recognizes outstanding graduate work in photography and visual arts. He is also the founder of the Urbanautica Institute, an online visual anthropology journal that has become a key reference for scholars and photography enthusiasts. Bisson serves as the editor-in-chief of the publishing house Penisola Edizioni, and art director of Lab27, a cultural center dedicated to promoting exhibitions and fostering public discourse on issues at the intersection of image-making, photography, and society.
He has curated over a hundred events, including exhibitions and festivals, and has authored countless writings and publications, collaborating with cultural and educational institutions worldwide, and spent the past 20 years questioning the role of images in society.
• Coaching and Portfolio Review
Go to Coaching and Portfolio Review page
Steve Bisson has also been delivering lectures, mentoring, and collaborating extensively with leading cultural and educational institutions around the world for the past 15 years.
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Design by Roberto Vito D'Amico
Steve Bisson is an educator, curator, and writer. He is the Chair of Photography at the Paris College of Art and co-founder of the international program Blurring the Lines, which fosters intra-academic dialogue and recognizes outstanding graduate work in photography and visual arts. He is also the founder of the Urbanautica Institute, an online visual anthropology journal that has become a key reference for scholars and photography enthusiasts. Bisson serves as the editor-in-chief of the publishing house Penisola Edizioni, and art director of Lab27, a cultural center dedicated to promoting exhibitions and fostering public discourse on issues at the intersection of image-making, photography, and society.
He has curated over a hundred events, including exhibitions and festivals, and has authored countless writings and publications, collaborating with cultural and educational institutions worldwide, and spent the past 20 years questioning the role of images in society.
• Coaching and Portfolio Review
Go to Coaching and Portfolio Review page
Steve Bisson has also been delivering lectures, mentoring, and collaborating extensively with leading cultural and educational institutions around the world for the past 15 years.
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Design by Roberto Vito D'Amico