“An island within the island” by Photographer Michael Francalanci

A narrative project based on the travels of artist duo Michael Francalanci and Francesco Bagattini aka succco. “An island within the island” brings together photography and writing to make sense of what the pair encounter when travelling. Blurring the boundary between documentation and imagination, the ongoing project follows the story of Sardinia before WWII—a time when traditional medicine was more widespread than its official counterpart and collective knowledge was embedded in community life.

“Certain people, mostly women, were known for their ability to perform rituals that went beyond empirical treatment, weaving together prayers and gestures of white magic. In the fall of 2022, we traveled through the Sardinian inland wondering what is left, today, of magical healing. The chain of people we met, roads we traveled, and questions we asked led us somewhere unexpected: a hidden Sardinia, an island within the island, far from tourism and suspended between tradition and modernity.”