Photo exhibition "Holding on" by Michele Zousmer

Description

With Holding On, photography becomes a tool for the intimate observation of a condition that is as personal as it is social: the loneliness of elderly women in Romania and Bulgaria. The portraits reveal bodies marked by time, everyday gestures, and domestic settings, constructing a narrative suspended between memory, resilience, and vulnerability. These women—often left alone following the death of a spouse or the departure of their children—serve as custodians of family memories and a cultural heritage that is gradually fading away. The photographer’s gaze avoids sensationalizing their fragility, focusing instead on the dignity and tenacity of her subjects. Yet, behind this strength, a broader reality emerges: the isolation of the elderly within a rapidly aging society. The project—which is still ongoing—thus transforms individual portraiture into a universal reflection on loneliness, memory, and our collective responsibility toward old age. The project was selected by Claudia Colecchia (archivist and head of the Photo Archive and Library at the Civic Museums of History and Art, Municipality of Trieste) and Michela Messina (curator at the Civic Museums of History and Art and the Sartorio Civic Museum).
Opening hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 10:00–17:00. Free admission.

Organized by:

DotART Associazione e Comune di Trieste