“Borderlands, an American Journey”

by Francesco Anselmi

Along a border at the center of the political and journalistic debate, “Borderlands” aims to develop a narration capable of going beyond the emergency perspective under which the US/Mexico border related issues are often presented and to vehicle the complexity of this 3600 kilometers long line that has been crossed by migrants and travelers for decades.

Immigration related phenomena have been absorbed by the population of border areas and it’s not an exaggeration to say that they contributed to shape the social fabric of these regions; depending on the areas, the solutions to the various issues are extremely different between each others, and can’t certainly be synthesized in the construction of a “wall”.

The idea of securing a border by putting up a fence is conceptually misleading as well, as sharp lines of demarcation might deceive about a non-continuity, truth is that border areas between US and Mexico can hardly be considered as parts of the two countries they separate, but have rather become as a country by itself.

 

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Born 1984 in Milan, Francesco lives between Italy and the United States. He graduated at The International Center of Photography in NYC receiving the New York Times Foundation Scholarship. His work focuses on social issues and ongoing changes involving the western society, from Europe to the United States of America. In 2012 he started a long term documentation about the consequences of the Greek economical crisis, that led him to receive the Chris Hondros Fellowship Fund in 2013 and the Visura Grant for Outstanding Personal Project in 2016. A selection of his work was screened at Visa Pour L’image 2013/2015/2016/2019 in Perpignan, at Image Singuliere 2014/2022 in Sete, at les rencontre d’Arles 2014/2019 and exhibited at 2014/2018 Lumix Festival for young photojournalism in Hannover, at 2014 Venice Biennal of Architecture, at 2019 Photolux festival in Lucca, Italy, at Museo MAXXI in Rome, Italy and at Base Milano for the “Italian Panorama” exhibition in 2022. Francesco is among the 2014 and 2019 Leica Oskar Barnack Award finalists. In 2019 he received a Visa D’or at Visa pour l’Image in Perpignan, France

Selection by Alejandra Martinez Moreno – Editor/Burn Magazine.