Carlotta Gambato

Wenu is an ongoing series of photographs I took during my trips back home to Italy to visit my family in my Venetian hometown. As an expatriate, this series
serves as a visual diary of my journey and my desire of belonging.

"Wenu" is an Akkadian word, a Semitic language spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, that can be translated to 'river' or 'spring of water.' It is one possible
interpretation of the unclear origin of the name of Venetia (Venice). This makes the Venetian people the people of the river or people closely connected to
water. I left my Venetian little town 12 years ago, aiming for something else, a fulfilling experience that the province could not provide, which brought me to live
in different European capitals. I never looked back, but at the same time, I kept an attachment to my roots, like a flow of water that descends from the hills.
After many years, I find myself surrounded by chaos and grasping for the peace that the same lands I once despised now offer me. The more humble and
simple things are the ones that I now appreciate. It is a strange feeling of homesickness and outsiderness; I find myself wandering between different worlds.