25 August 2025
Hugs in Front of the Camera
Photo Wall: Every day, the most significant images taken throughout the day are displayed in Hall South
Observing, capturing a glance, a decisive moment, and then telling it “by writing” with light in the brief time of a shot: this is the work of a photographer. At the Meeting, among meetings, exhibitions, and shows, there are thousands of moments worth looking at and capturing. And precisely so that none of these moments is lost, a large team of photographers is present, working to catch precious moments and share them with the public, both inside and outside the fair.
For Denis Billi, who has been offering his experience as a professional photographer to the Meeting for years, the heart of the time spent volunteering lies in this almost missionary zeal: “We photographers help spread to everyone the work the Meeting does for the world,” he explains. “Something of which we might be the only witnesses, as became clear during the Meeting edition held during the Covid pandemic: very few people were present, and it was perhaps only me who was asked to tell the whole world what was happening in Rimini.” But it's not just the major events that catch the photographers’ attention: many details or faces that may go unnoticed by most are essential for telling the larger story that began 46 years ago and which inevitably enriches the present day and their everyday lives. Denis returns every year "to take home and into my work what I discover here by giving my time."
Over the years, the photographers’ work has expanded to also collaborate with DonaOra; one example of this is the Photowall: a large wall displayed in Hall South where every day the most beautiful and significant photographs taken during the day are exhibited, moments from the Meeting that can be taken home by choosing to make a donation to the Meeting. This is attested to by, among others, Caterina Fiordi, Giovanni Dinatolo, and Marcello Colombo.
Whether in black and white or color, whether they depict participants or volunteers, institutional moments or so-called “Meeting life,” all the shots reflect the wonder for a place that "is a gift for the world because it allows unique encounters and relationships that would not be possible in other places." Denis Billi calls them “hugs” between cultures, religions, and people who might seem distant but can bloom if considered possible and nurtured.
