Julia Carrillo. Sole pioggia vento. Ediz. illustrata

Julia Carrillo’s images were created in a darkroom, a technique that dates back to the origins of photography and lets the artist draw with light directly on photosensitive paper, without a conventional camera. The project followed the Mexican artist’s residency at the Zenato winery’s estates in Peschiera del Garda and Valpolicella, where she observed work in the fields and in the winemaking facility during the harvest, and explored the role of nature in the production process. The vineyards are positioned through a deep understanding of the natural elements that choreograph sun, rain, and wind. In parallel, Carrillo’s images are produced using light, water, and air: at times direct sunlight, at others artificial rain and wind created inside the camera obscura. The resulting images record the interaction of these elements and become abstract shapes, freed from direct interpretation. Visual dynamism and the loss of recognizability of the subject are key to her darkroom practice. During the project, she also used red wine as a light filter, noting a marked difference in image contrast.