chicken on a table by the sea in Palermo, Sicily

from the exhibition of photographs by Letizia Battaglia

Exchange the camera lens for a gun barrel and tell me how you see the hen on the table, which is laid out with an embroidered tablecloth and the leftovers of a get together in proximity of the water? The hen is vulnerable, poised, daring and wild. Right?

Letizia Battaglia is known for capturing Mafia-related events, proletarian people and the streets of Palermo, Sicily. 

Life is encapsulated by the hen, who is elegant, who is in communion with the waves behind her, and who embodies the spirit of a people who desire to live life to its fullest. However, the reality of hardship, urban politics and especially the hold the Mafia has over the city and its people, is brought to the fore in this shot - in 'eyeshot'..

Silvana Tuccio 2017



A book about Letizia Battaglia by Aperture