IO ABITO

IO ABITO is the latest, ongoing phase of research by Italian artist and photographer Elena Mocchetti, curated by Anna Detheridge as Scientific Director. The project evolves from a previous body of research that took shape in Il Giardino dei Semplici, a short film awarded within the Wandering Species initiative and supported by the Lombardy Region.

Led by the artist, this research investigates new forms of urban vulnerability in the city of Milan, exploring the dialogue between social and natural ecosystems. The artistic production stems from the author's personal experience and her time spent within the community of the Discalced Carmelites' soup kitchen (Mensa dei Poveri). The entire narrative is built upon close observation and the co-creation of the body of work through participatory art practices. In this way, an essential emergency service acts as a unique observatory for contemporary socio-economic transformations, revealing a space that goes beyond addressing basic needs to offer a relational network capable of generating new opportunities for personal development and social inclusion.

The project will culminate in an exhibition at the Fondazione Corrente in Milan. Through analogue photography, video, archival documents, and first-hand testimonies, the exhibition builds a visual and sonic archive that documents marginal life practices and invisible communities. The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue and a public program featuring a series of meetings designed to foster direct dialogue between cultural institutions, public administrations, researchers, experts, and non-profit organizations.