Guinea - living Conakry

Giuliano spent ten days in the Ymbaya district on the edge of Conakry, where, as a community that lives outdoors, the only place for families to experience any intimacy is inside their own home. It afforded him the opportunity to meet people before they became ill and for the bare, but very particular rooms they lived in, to provide an insight into their very existence.
Guinea is a country on the brink of a civil war and in these rooms, often crammed with absurdly oversized sofas, men and women stare straight at the camera, striking deliberate poses to deliver images that reflect a human dignity that extends far beyond their social conditions and personal well-being. They are the indirect link between the work of Giuliano Matteucci and Smith for who trust is always key. For Smith what counts is the trust between photographer and reader whereas for Matteucci it is mostly about the photographer and his subject in which the honesty of a photograph supersedes its objectivity.
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Giuliano Matteucci
Born in Rome 1976, this photographer still lives and works in his native city. His professional career began in 2001 since when he has collaborated with numerous foundations and organizations for solidarity including the Sant’Egidio Community, Amref, the Red Cross, the Vodafone Foundation and Global forum, providing the public image of the work they do. One of his most significant contributions to date has been for the Sant’Egidio Community; he was responsible for the Meulaboh / Atech reportage conducted in Indonesia immediately after the tsunami. Other important projects include those commissioned by Rome City Council and for the Regions of Lazio and Sardinia. He has taken part in the last three editions of the Festival and his work has appeared in major national and international publications including, to name but a few, National Geographic Italia, the Repubblica’s (a national newspaper) D magazine and l’Espresso.