Blanco

Delving into the life of the visually impaired around the world.

In Stephen Sondheim's musical, "A Sunday in the Park with George," about the painter Georges Seurat, the character of George utters the line: "White. A blank page or canvas—so many possibilities." In many ways, this statement defines the beginning of the creative process.

For the photographer Stefano De Luigi, blanco—or white—defines the idea of blindness as a constant vision of white. Just as Seurat filled his painter's canvas, De Luigi fills his photographic canvas with infinite colors which combine as white, reflecting a complex understanding of the world of the blind. Taking this concept as his starting point, De Luigi began a four-year journey delving into the life of the visually impaired around the world. Like much art, it can be hard to contemplate. It can also illuminate our understanding of what it is to be blind.

Jury comments:
This production is a beautiful example of conceptual multimedia work, without a linear narrative based on the voices of subjects that have been interviewed, but relies solely on beautiful and powerful imagery combined with a haunting soundtrack. The editing and production are key to this work. The concept and execution at the heart of this works successfully, which helps expand the language and possibilities of what this medium has to offer for creativity and for our audience. Yet, this work is about a serious subject that is an issue for millions of people around the world. Blindness.