I AM WILD: Roberto Dutesco’s Journey in Venice and the Encounter with Barbara Pigazzi

From the remote sands of Sable Island to “Le Stanze della Fotografia“: our studio’s immersion into Dutesco’s world and the precious creative exchange between two masters of portraiture.

The Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, the heart of Venetian photographic culture, has become the stage for an extraordinary encounter. As a studio, we visited the exhibition “I AM WILD – The Wild Horses of Sable Island: Survival and Fragility in a Changing World,” an experience that evolved into a profound narrative through portraiture.

The Exhibition: A Cinematic Work between Resilience and the Future

The exhibition, promoted by the IAMWILD Foundation and curated by Denis Curti, retraces over thirty years of Canadian photographer and filmmaker Roberto Dutesco’s career. Open until July 5, 2026, at Le Stanze della Fotografia (Cini Foundation), the show arrives in the Lagoon during the inaugural months of the 2026 Venice Biennale, carrying a unique symbolic meaning. The exhibition path is designed as a cinematic narrative unfolding through three rooms:

• ORIGIN AND FRAGILITY: An introduction to Sable Island, a remote and unlikely stage for life.
• ADAPTATION AND SURVIVAL: How beauty and dignity flourish in a hostile, resource-poor environment.
• RESILIENCE AND FUTURE: A space for reflection connecting nature’s strength to broader human and civil issues.

The Encounter: Human Connection through Portraiture

During the visit, we had the privilege of witnessing and participating in an electrifying meeting between Roberto Dutesco and Barbara Pigazzi. The two photographers shared their stories through an immediate human connection, crystallized in the art form most authentic to both: the photographic portrait. In a moment of great professional generosity, the two authors photographed each other, creating a precious and unique portrait. The goal was not just to capture the outward appearance, but the identity and authenticity of the subject.

A Bridge between Two Islands

Dutesco’s presence in Venice ideally unites Sable Island and the Venetian Lagoon. Both are lands bound by poignant beauty and fragile ecosystems. The exchange with Barbara Pigazzi adds a human element to this narrative, proving that photography, before being a technique, is a way of listening to others.