L I N K | Love Is A Necessary Knot: Recap Gallery

A year ago we launched a community photo project where we invited people from all over the world to become an active part of an artistic project that speaks of ties, affection and connection, a photographic game that slowly comes together through a domino effect.

Inspired by a long term and ongoing project from Italian photographer Francesca Tilio, 10 Simple Use Reloadable Cameras were sent to the selected participants. Some got lost along the way but those that made it back to the Lomo headquarters are full of inspiring images. Today we finally share the results. Check them out!

This personal experiment started before the pandemic and found its true meaning in times of restrictions, where human bonds and hugs were put to the test. My LINK project won numerous prizes and was published in major national newspapers, so I soon imagined that that loving knotting of humans and animals would not only have to start with me. Everyone would have to experience their own LINK!

Lomography embraced the idea and together we built the project by imagining Lomo cameras travelling to an unpredictable narrative of affection. We knew the starting point but we did not know where the human connections would take us. The beauty lies in the mysterious and unexpected unfolding of connections. People from different parts of the world responded to the call, selected by origin but, above all by motivation. It was not easy to follow and trace the passing of the cameras from hand to hand: some got lost who knows where, others took anarchic paths, far from the directions of the project, some returned and gave us surprises and much beauty. The photos we are showing are accompanied by the names of the people portrayed and the interviews we with the people who started the LINKS. Enjoy your journey! – Francesca Tilio

Melyssa Shannon

I wasn’t sure where I wanted this project to go, but I hoped for the camera to travel a little. I didn’t have any far away trips planned during the project's duration, so the camera went around the North of Ireland, predominantly Belfast and Derry, with myself and separately with some friends.

If I could go back in time, I’d love to do this project in September 2019, when my band dragged our whole studio to a warehouse in rural Portugal to record our first album. This project could have captured a lot of cool moments, all amongst a language barrier, through best friends, new friends, so many animals and a lot of beer!

For me, this project was really about an opportunity to get back into using my cameras again. I have an ever growing collection of old film cameras and Lomo cameras, and they used to be such a huge part of my everyday life, but having to do boring adult stuff has slowly but surely meant that I almost always leave the house without a camera.

During the project, I made new pals, met their friends and heard about how they knew each other, etc, which was great, because for two long pandemic years, I hadn’t realised how much I missed this connection and conversation.

Cris Miranda

At first I admit I was confused, still I thought it’d be amazing to see the results. I was also worried about losing track of the camera.

It took me a while to make it happen, so to start I chose a person who was close to me, and it would be easier to keep track of the project. Besides, the person I chose is very important to me.

On my side, all the photos were taken in São Paulo, Brazil and they depict family, friends and colleagues.

It was awesome to watch people engaged in the project, talking about the photos and discussing how it was going. Joining the LINK project meant the possibility to share my analogue passion and get great results back.

Francisco Marcelino

I like the snow-ball effect the project reminds me of and, especially, the idea that we are not that far away from anyone else. People and their circumstances lead to one another. Most of all, it would be a good opportunity to reconnect with some friends, as well as connecting some of my family members. Words are not the best vehicle of communication and images could speak louder.

My first idea was to think of a human cordon I could start that would send the camera to another city in Europe, maybe somewhere outside the continent, in order to broaden the experience and to see where other people, I had a close unknown link to, were. However, I quickly realized that it was not my heart's desire to do so and so I thought of the next opportunity to come, to go local in reach and in love.

The first person I photographed myself with was Mateus, in Bons Sons, a festival in Tomar, Portugal, where I was going to spend those days with him and a few more friends. He's a very good friend of mine and also the singer, saxophone player and keys softener for the band we're both in.

From the moment I heard about the project, the idea of it becoming a social experience was undeniably connected in my mind. A few questions rose once I got chosen to participate: who am I going to choose? Should I try to choose people based on where I think the camera can go? Do I even have people around that I care deeply about that value this experience through photography the same way I do? As one can reckon, the project means fear and doubt. It also means courage and determination. Most of all, it means hope and closeness. Love above all, in its many forms and shapes.

James Beghelli

I find it very interesting the kind of sharing this project brings. And I love being able to actively involve people who are not photographers.

When I started the project I thought I could control the path of the camera, but I quickly realized that it was impossible.

I took the first photo with Sasha, a friend since we were children, and a person who has always been there for me and with whom I have lived through different stages of life. The photo was taken in Bologna, in the garden of our middle school.

Pia Middleton

When I started the project I was excited to see how the progression of someone I loved would spiral into faces that others loved but that I did not recognise. To see the development of the project was the most important thing to me so I didn’t have any clear set ideas in place.

I lost track of the camera after it passed to a few people after initially giving it to my friend. Hopefully, it’s ended up being put to good use! But realistically it may be in a drawer somewhere. It would be great if it could’ve reached every continent and had an interestedly documented journey getting there.

I think LINK is a great example of modern art using performance and emotion, to be collaborative. Anyone can be an artist and this project showed that - all it took was a camera!

Thank you to all the participants and to Francesca Tilio for inspiring us with her original LINK project and bringing this experiment to life!

written by melissaperitore on 2023-07-17 #gear #places #link #francescatillio #simpleusacamera