A pylon af the former ropeway Testa Grigia 1 in Cervinia-Breuil. In Italy during the early 70’s a growing enthusiasm towards the exploits of the national ski team during the Olympics and the World Championship, along with a general spread of wealth, led to the assumption that ski tourism was to be the solution to the depopulation process. Due to global warming, large-scale abuse and bankruptcy the Northern regions of Italy alone are home to 186 stopped skiing facilities, 4000 abandoned pylons and millions of cubic meters of concrete.
Giuseppe Moccia
A Third Landscape?
The Alps form both a natural and a cultural landscape, place of a diversity which is not only biological but also cultural.
Back in the 60’s and 70’s, a widespread wealth along with the exploits of a group of Italian athletes, known as the “Italian Landslide”, set the basis for an economic development model which revealed it’s unsustainability.
Ski-oriented tourism was introduced as the unique solution to the depopulation and impoverishment process that took place around the alps. This model led to the construction of hundreds of facilities, many of which, for various reasons, are nowadays abandoned.
“A Third Landscape?” is a photo-essay on the region and on the consequences of the mono-culture of ski-tourism.
Beyond the direct journalistic value – related to the localization of these remote sites and the collection of their history – the approach and the synthesis of this research would suggest an open-mindedness between different points of view.On one side, the idealistic views of the contemporary citizen, re-educated to the principles of the green-economy, and, on the other side, the secularized views of the mountaineer who interacts with his environment in a natural resource-threat dynamic.
Within this confrontation Clement’s vision opens a third way, full of questioning, to an understanding of the forces which shape our landscape.
A view of the mountain Zoncolan, near Ravascletto (UD), with its newly built ski slope. A new development of this area has been recently approved, 25 mln euros is the gross total allcated for the creation of the “Cima Zoncolan Resort” which will include 1650 accomodations near by the old village of Ravascletto which counts just 1300 inhabitants. This will result in a new independent village, totally disconnected from the original ones. Futhermore, a recent study of the OECD shows that in the next ten years 45% of the actual Friuli’s skiing areas will be unusable. Eventually this newly approved resort will stand as a monument to shortsightedness and property speculation. ————————— Una panoramica della nuova pista di collegamento sul monte Zoncolan con Ravascletto. Attulamente e’ programmato un intervento che prevede la realizzazione di 1650 posti letto in un Comune che conta solo 1300 abitanti. Un complesso di residenze e serviziche costituiscono di fatto un altro centro abitato, completamente autonomo e slegato dal resto del territorio. Secondo uno studio dell’OCSEsi prevede che, nei prossimi decenni, il 45% delle aree sciistiche della regione Friuli-Venezia Giulia sarà inutilizzabile e avremo un innalzamento del livello della neve di 300 metri. In un futuro non troppo lontano (10, 15 anni) potremo ritrovarci con opere inutilizzate, un monumento alla miopia e alla speculazione edilizia. Si comincerà con il taglio degli alberi e la movimentazione della terra per consentire il getto delle basi in cemento prima che cominci il freddo. 25 milioni la spesa complessiva per la creazione del “Cima Zoncolan resort” che sarà realizzato dalla Ici Coop di Monfalcone e dalla Gallery di Trieste: 30 gli chalet in progetto per circa 400 posti letto.
What is left of the arrival station of the Pra’ di Bosco skilift near Prato Carnico (UD). In 2008 the local government has allocated 4 mln euros to enpower this facility. Without ever erogating that sum, the local authorities are now planning on buliding a brand new ski tow with Promotur, rejecting the project proposed by the actual concessionaire of the skilift. —————————————– Il Pilone di arrivo della sciovia di Pra’ di Bosco, Prato Carnico (UD). Per questa sciovia ferma da alcuni anni, la Regione aveva stanziato 4 milioni di euro per riqualificarla; senza aver mai erogato effettivamente questi fondi, ad oggi la Regione prevede la costruzione di una nuova sciovia ex-novo da affidare alla Promotur, rifiutando cosi il progetto -alla meta’ del costo – di riqualificazione di tutta l’area proposto dall’attuale concessionario degli impianti e del relativo albergo.
A view of the fields that will host the recently approved vacation village located on top of tha mountain Zoncolan, Ravascletto (UD). The project will begin with the cutting of the trees and the handling of the ground in order to lay the foundations for the resort before the season gets too cold. 25 mln euros is the gross total allcated for the creation of the “Cima Zoncolan Resort” which will include 1650 accomodations near by the old village of Ravascletto which counts just 1300 inhabitants. This will result in a new independent village, totally disconnected from the original ones. Futhermore, a reccent study of the OECD show that in the next ten years 45% of the actual Friuli’s skiing areas will be unusable. Eventually this newly approved resort will stand as a monument to shortsightedness and property speculation. ———————————————- I prati destinati ad ospitare il nuovo villaggio turistico d’alta quota sullo Zoncolan, Ravasceltto (UD). Si comincerà con il taglio degli alberi e la movimentazione della terra per consentire il getto delle basi in cemento prima che cominci il freddo. 25 milioni la spesa complessiva per la creazione del “Cima Zoncolan resort” che sarà realizzato dalla Ici Coop di Monfalcone e dalla Gallery di Trieste: 30 gli chalet in progetto per circa 400 posti letto. Complessivamente un intervento che prevede la realizzazione di 1650 posti letto in un Comune che conta solo 1300 abitanti. Un complesso di residenze e serviziche costituiscono di fatto un altro centro abitato, completamente autonomo e slegato dal resto del territorio. Secondo uno studio dell’OCSEsi prevede che, nei prossimi decenni, il 45% delle aree sciistiche della regione Friuli-Venezia Giulia sarà inutilizzabile e avremo un innalzamento del livello della neve di 300 metri. In un futuro non troppo lontano (10, 15 anni) potremo ritrovarci con opere inutilizzate, un monumento alla miopia e alla speculazione edilizia.
The prototype of the, never accomplished touristic village “Pineland”. Designed in 1964 by world class architect Marcello D’Olivo, this touristic village was based on the philosophy of organic architecture which promoted harmony between human habitation and the natural world. ———————————————- La casa prototipo del villaggio turistico “Pineland”. Nel 1964 a Andrazza, in località Stinsans, iniziarono i lavori di costruzione di una struttura turistica (“ Pineland” ), con residenza turistico-alberghiera, lago e percorsi nel verde. Però l’ impresa fallì e i lavori si fermarono; fu completata solamente una casa, con forme di spicchio d’ arancia. Tutto il resto poi si ridusse a ruderi. Il progetto di tale opera, commissionato da una società di Londra, è di Marcello D’ Olivo (Udine, 1921-1991). Il suo operato in campo architettonico e urbanistico viene definito organico sperimentale per i continui riferimenti all’interazione fra natura e tecnologia, con l’ambizioso tentativo di omologare quest’ultima con lo studio delle leggi genetiche e morfologiche della natura stessa.
The bar of the “Valle Verde” restaurant as it was left some years ago due to the closing of its ski facility in Sella Chianzutan, Verzegnis (UD). During the past ten years, Promotur, the regional ski facility concessionaire, has been abandoning what it called the “Minor Hubs” investing only on the major ones like the Zoncolan or the Lussari. ————————————————- Il bar del ristorante “Valle Verde” presso gli impianti di risalita di Sella Chianzutan, Verzegnis UD. I tre SL di Sella Chianzutan facevano parte dei cosiddetti “Poli minori” della Promotur. Dopo che l’asta del comune di Verzegnis per l’assegnazione della gestione di impianti di risalita e albergo annesso è andata deserta, le speranze di rivedere Sella Chianzutan rianimarsi di sciatori sono vane. Nel corso degli ultimi dieci anni la Promotur, operatore unico degli impianti di risalita del FVG, ha progressivamente abbandonato i “poli minori” – secondo la dicitura dei depliant della Promotur – preferendo investire in stazioni piu grandi come lo Zoncolan o il Lussari.
The former night club of the Hotel Tremalzo ski resort, near Tiarno di Sopra (TN). Located in the valley of Tremalzo which had five ski-lifts, this site, denominated “SIC” by European Commission, is threatened by a new development project. Which include a new spa resort of 60.000 cbm and two huge parking lots. In Italy during the early 70’s a growing enthusiasm towards the exploits of the national ski team during the Olympics and the World Championship, along with a general spread of wealth, led to the assumption that ski tourism was to be the solution to the depopulation process. Due to global warming, large-scale abuse and bankruptcy the Northern regions of Italy alone are home to 186 stopped skiing facilities, 4000 abandoned pylons and millions of cubic meters of concrete.
The pentahouse of one of the buildings part of Pian Gelassa (TO) ski resort, 2010. This ski compound was built in the 60’s and never completed due to some landslides that forced the owner to close down the ski facilities.
Un soffice cumulo di neve entrata da un oblò rotto dell’Hotel Pez de Prinzep. Malga Laghetto (TN), 2011. —————————————————————— A soft pile of snow that fell from a broken skylight inside the Hotel Pez de Prinzep. Malga Laghetto (TN), 2011.
The arrival of the Tremalzo ski-lifttt near Tiarno di Sopra TN. From 1980 till 1999 few ski-liftt served very few local skiers,nowadaysys Mr Leali itryingng to have his new project proposal approved. This is a 60.000 m3 spa resort. In Italy during the early 70’s a growing enthusiasm towards the exploits of the national ski team during the Olympics and the World Championship, along with a general spread of wealth, led to the assumption that ski tourism was to be the solution to the depopulation process. Due to global warming, large-scale abuse and bankruptcy the Northern regions of Italy alone are home to 186 stopped skiing facilities, 4000 abandoned pylons and millions of cubic meters of concrete.
The restaurant of the Hotel Tremalzo ski resort, near Tiarno di Sopra TN. Located in the valley of Tremalzo which had five ski-lifts, this site, denominated “SIC” by European Commission, is threatened by a new development project. Which include a new spa resort of 60.000 cbm and two huge parking lots. In Italy during the early 70’s a growing enthusiasm towards the exploits of the national ski team during the Olympics and the World Championship, along with a general spread of wealth, led to the assumption that ski tourism was to be the solution to the depopulation process. Due to global warming, large-scale abuse and bankruptcy the Northern regions of Italy alone are home to 186 stopped skiing facilities, 4000 abandoned pylons and millions of cubic meters of concrete.
The Taiarezze-Fedo chairlift in Auronzo BL, 2010. Dismissed in 2007, this S2 chairlift was substituted by a brand new bigger S4 chairlift which was built very close by, but on a sunnier side, to please the skiers.
The arrival of the former Saroden ski-lift in Pejo TN. Located at 2500 a.s.l. within the Stelvio National Park. In Italy during the early 70’s a growing enthusiasm towards the exploits of the national ski team during the Olympics and the World Championship, along with a general spread of wealth, led to the assumption that ski tourism was to be the solution to the depopulation process. Due to global warming, large-scale abuse and bankruptcy the Northern regions of Italy alone are home to 186 stopped skiing facilities, 4000 abandoned pylons and millions of cubic meters of concrete.
The ski slope of Dossdecembri in Pejo TN, 2010. It is located on the eastern side of Mount Vioz within the boundaries of the Stelvio National Park. In Italy during the early 70’s a growing enthusiasm towards the exploits of the national ski team during the Olympics and the World Championship, along with a general spread of wealth, led to the assumption that ski tourism was to be the solution to the depopulation process. Due to global warming, large-scale abuse and bankruptcy the Northern regions of Italy alone are home to 186 stopped skiing facilities, 4000 abandoned pylons and millions of cubic meters of concrete.
The track of the former Torre del Diavolo ski-lift in Misurina BL. This facility, that worked for only 5/6 seasons ,has been dismantled few years ago, now is at the center of new development projects for the next Ski World Cup. In Italy during the early 70’s a growing enthusiasm towards the exploits of the national ski team during the Olympics and the World Championship, along with a general spread of wealth, led to the assumption that ski tourism was to be the solution to the depopulation process. Due to global warming, large-scale abuse and bankruptcy the Northern regions of Italy alone are home to 186 stopped skiing facilities, 4000 abandoned pylons and millions of cubic meters of concrete.
The departure of the Lacedell ski-liftt in Cortina D’Ampezzo BL, 2010. Totally renovated in 2007 – it has never been activated – this ski-lift is now abandoned due to landslides which are threatening its stability.
The 2006 Winter Olympic’s ski jumping facility in Pra Gelato TO, 2010. Worth 35 mln euros, it is now totally abandoned and fenced off due to the high risk of snow slides.
A pylon of the former cableway of Alpe Cialma, Locana (TO), 2010.
A view of the Matterhorn from the top of the Furggen ropeways, built in 1952 by carlo Mollino, abandoned in 1993. In Italy during the early 70’s a growing enthusiasm towards the exploits of the national ski team during the Olympics and the World Championship, along with a general spread of wealth, led to the assumption that ski tourism was to be the solution to the depopulation process. Due to global warming, large-scale abuse and bankruptcy the Northern regions of Italy alone are home to 186 stopped skiing facilities, 4000 abandoned pylons and millions of cubic meters of concrete.
Bio
Giuseppe Moccia was born in Naples in 1978. He grew up in Rome and completed his studies in Milan with a Master Degree in International Economics.
Giuseppe started as a freelance photographer collaborating with some of the main international press agencies like Associated Press and EPA among the others.
In 2007 he started a personal project on people affected by down syndrome which received international recognitions such as the “Photoespana-Ojodepez Human Value Award” and the “Flashforward” for Emerging Photographers of the Magenta Foundation (Canada). “I Love too Much”, which followed up the photo-essay “The Wednesday Kid”, is his first attempt with cinematography. Giuseppe is now working on a project on the changes of the anthropic landscape in Italy.
Congrats for being published, it is well deserved.
Thank you for this very informative essay, well photographed.
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A quiet, subdued essay that makes a loud statement about an issue I had no idea even existed.
Boring
and bland comes to mind
These photos actually say something rather than being merely decorative; it is not difficult to see why you would find them boring.
I have no great interest in the decorative but these are conceptually barren as well.
Other than that it is all point and shoot stuff with the so called subject in the centre photo after photo after photo
Good job.
But maybe, from my point of view, some photos are uselessly repeated.
Interesting subject and well photographed.
I’d echo Frostfrog’s comment and particularly like Nos 1,5 and 12.
I’ve been thinking about this essay for a few days, and enjoy the fact it has stayed with me for all that time. The landscapes are particularly wonderful. Those images with the abandoned pylons, jumps, and tracks placed mid-plane and reductively centred remind me of the current fashion in photography; the distant, detached, posed, standing-in-nature portraits we see, especially in medium-format work. In the same way the critically acclaimed portraits work – their strong point being the level of trust felt between the subject and photographer – so do Moccia’s. It is as if the “third landscape” presents itself to Moccia in-trust, as if the story of micro-economic stupidity is asking to be given voice. So, the folly of the attraction of the Italian Landslide skiers, fashionable half a century ago, is now associated with the distant and trusting style fashionable in today’s fine art photography.
To repeat: I very much like this essay. But in general the inability of photographers to get past their end-point of trust with their human subjects is something that bothers me. It is fine when the photographer is shy and distant to work this way; that is a fair and sincere approach. My suspicions are that too many photographers who don’t share that trait are also working the fourth wall of photography under the narrow-minded, restricting influence of the fifth wall – ie., the critics, galleries, and influential collectors.
Joan Didion: “Grammar is a piano I play by ear, since I seem to have been out of school the year the rules were mentioned. All I know about grammar is its infinite power. To shift the structure of a sentence alters the meaning of that sentence, as definitely and inflexibly as the position of a camera alters the meaning of the object photographed. Many people know about camera angles now, but not so many know about sentences. The arrangement of the words matters, and the arrangement you want can be found in the picture in your mind. The picture dictates the arrangement. The picture dictates whether this will be a sentence with or without clauses, a sentence that ends hard or a dying-fall sentence, long or short, active or passive. The picture tells you how to arrange the words and the arrangement of the words tells you, or tells me, what’s going on in the picture. Nota bene.
It tells you.
You don’t tell it.”
I wish that was the case with more photo-essays.
Jeff, I’m unclear about what you’re trying to say about the trust issue. Do you mean that the subject doesn’t trust the photographer or that the photographer doesn’t trust the audience?
On the importance of establishing trust between the photographer and subject, I’m pretty much totally indifferent. Some photographers work one way, others another. Of course I’d say that it’s important for the photographer to figure out what kind of person he or she is and then own it rather than trying to be something one is not. But I don’t see any kind of universal rule.
Regarding the question of the photographer trusting the audience; that, I find, very interesting. I can see that you might be saying that use of this “distant” style requires the photographer to trust that the audience will give the photograph due attention despite it’s lack of theatricality. By theatricality I mean such things as rules of composition, color theory, decisive moment; anything which gives a composition any kind of wow factor.
Personally, I’ve struggled to appreciate this kind of un-theatrical photography. Yet I know it’s what’s valued most in the art world.
I walked past an expensive art gallery the other day and noticed a canvas that was painted entirely white. Of course that wasn’t the first time I’d seen a canvas painted entirely white (or black, red, and single color). The first I recall was at the modern art museum at Beaubourg in Paris. And I’ve seen any number over the years. I get that it’s not meant to be decorative art, that it’s making some kind of intellectual statement about the ultimate vacuity of color and composition and I’m fine with that. But although I find the original idea valid as art and interesting to contemplate, I see no point whatsoever in seeing it repeated over and over again. Solid color on canvas. Decorative art vacant. Got it.
Anyway, so I’ve learned to appreciate, for example, a Jeff Wall photo of something that is totally unremarkable photographed in a consciously unremarkable way. Same with the urban landscape. But at some point I feel that’s been done and it strikes me as pointless for anyone to continue churning out essentially the same photo that makes exactly the same point.
On the other hand, I see how to often we get carried away with theatricality in photos. Saturated, unreal colors or sharpness; subjects arranged Cartier-Bresson like. But still, there are infinite ways to be theatrical in photography. Infinite ideas that can be portrayed theatrically. And that’s what most of us, as humans, crave. Although I love modern art and enjoy learning what it’s about intellectually, I can’t help but note how the modern art wing of the museum is always practically empty of patrons compared to, say, the impressionist/post impressionist galleries.
Michael:
Thanks for the reply. The relationship of trust I was talking about is the one that quickly develops between subject and photographer, and I guess you’re perceptive in figuring out the other one – which I hadn’t thought of – which is the trust between the critic/reviewer/collector, the audience, and the photographer. I find it personally wanting that the photographer throws away an opportunity to use the trust with the subject, and stops the image-making at the typical grave, serious, “important” portrait. Cameras are meant to record a moment in less than a second; why do so many images mimic the painted portrait look…or the old time long-exposed image from the first era of photography?
Sontag said that aesthetic judgements are based on cultural evaluations. That these mysterious, still and quiet portraits are all the rage with galleries and festivals, critics and collectors, either suggests that they are easy to appreciate, or society is consumed with detachment and distance in our relationships. Is that really a fair comment on current cultural evaluation? I also think there is a very strong overlap between social documentary photography and fine art photography; it’s ironic that so much social documentary work is done by shy and emotionally distant photographers. If I see an essay that doesn’t have at least one image of any sort showing a human relationship or human interaction, I can’t really get behind the work as a social document. That’s strictly my own aethetic judgement.
It’s funny that you mention Jeff Wall. He went through a period where he’d see an interaction on the street, and then artfully recreate later, with models and perfect lighting. It was an interesting intellectual endeavour…very few photographers can master the art of setting up at a shot of human interactions. His images of that type were filled with mystery, but i prefer the found image of ineraction and relationships captured in real-life situations, if for no other reason than that it’s the most difficult to capture.
JEFF and MICHAEL,
Interesting and thoughtful discussion you two guys are having which also mirrors some of my reactions to and frustrations with currently popular modes in both portrait photography and landscape photography.