GERARDO FORTINO

I am an Italian photographer and journalist, traveling the world for over 10 years in search of stories to tell. I collaborate on various projects, including RAW FACTS, a young YouTube channel supported by RCE Foto, a leader in the guaranteed used photography market in Italy and abroad.

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My work focuses on the depth of the human experience, with particular attention to what often remains invisible. Oblivion, my most ambitious photographic project, is a visual journey that invites slowness and reflection — a deep exploration of humanity’s shadows. Shot entirely in black and white, it’s a tribute to my mentor and master, Sebastião Salgado, a symbol of timeless storytelling capable of evoking profound emotions.

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Oblivion will culminate in 2026 with a major international photography exhibition. The showcase will be designed as an immersive experience, blending images with audio narrations, texts, and installations, creating a path that compels viewers to confront the pain and truths we often ignore.

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The goal of Oblivion is to center on people and places, allowing viewers to "add color" to the images themselves. However, I hope they choose not to—because, for a moment, I want everyone to absorb the pain that so many lives have endured. These lives, often reduced to numbers, remind us of a world where fortune is so unevenly distributed. Are we responsible? Yes. Humanity’s cruelty implicates us all.

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Oblivion is not just photography; it’s a raw and unfiltered reflection, an invitation to pause and consider the power of a gaze, the strength of a hand, and the intimate story of a portrait that, though distant, feels close. Each image speaks of breaths that are no longer here, yet deserve to be remembered.

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I am an optimist tormented by the pain and misery I witness. Perhaps I know that nothing will ever truly change, but I will never stop hoping to leave a mark — a positive legacy — in the chaos of this world. Oblivion is that: a cry for truth, a bridge between indifference and awareness.