This project was developed in 2020 with the photographer Diego Sartorio to explore the reality of Ecovillages in Italy.
COVID-19 has led people to immerse themselves in what is often referred to as a "stream of consciousness", an infinite and unfiltered flow of thoughts prompting them to re-evaluate and retrace steps and decisions taken in pre-virus life. This experience of confinement and distancing, together with social and economic uncertainty, may represent a kind of rebirth.
The need for closer contact with nature has been strongly felt, as well as the desire to escape individualism and a sense of isolation, further intensified by restrictive measures. Many have expressed the intention to change their lifestyle, moving towards more sustainable choices capable of combining scientific and economic progress with the health and well-being of both people and the environment.
Some have found a response to these needs in Ecovillages: eco-sustainable communities that have existed worldwide since the 1970s and act as territorial laboratories for experimenting with alternative lifestyles to dominant socio-economic models. Their aim is to create a broader community oriented toward self-sufficiency and the development of the individual as part of a collective.
This work has allowed us to engage with the experiences developed over the years by Ecovillages in Italy and to meet people who, encouraged by the consequences of the current pandemic, are approaching these realities or seeking to create their own community projects. However, the transition from urban life to a more isolated, less frenetic reality in harmony with nature requires a strong capacity for adaptation and a re-evaluation of one’s priorities and needs. Many have therefore approached existing communities, experiencing periods of cohabitation and immersing themselves in contexts already consolidated by others in order to adapt them and make them their own.
COVID-19 has awakened hopes for change in many societies and has increased awareness of the value of shared humanity, the strength of local communities, and the bond with nature. By offering new possibilities to those who wish to rediscover these values, could Ecovillages represent a viable solution to the challenges of modern society, giving rise to a real and feasible alternative?