In pictures: the young Italians fighting for their right to rave

As a child, Valerio would spend hours looking through old family pictures, dying to discover the story behind each photo. Propelled by this yearning, he picked up his first non-disposable camera in elementary school; a small digital camera previously owned by his father, and began to immortalise moments of his youth he felt worthy of another glance. While Milan is known as the glittering epicentre of the fashion universe, like all cities, it harbours myriad subcultures in its shadows. He recalls, “I felt the need to capture all the adventures we’ve been through in a city full of secrets like Milan.”

Now 21 years old, Valerio’s relationship with photography is more personal than ever – it is no longer an experimental hobby but a documentation of stories, of what might even be considered history in the future. He tells Dazed: “In my photos, you can take a look at the underground culture and the free party movement here in Italy, at a time where our freedom has been attacked by prime minister Giorgia Meloni and the ‘anti-rave’ law.” Known as “decreto rave”, this bill was put forward in October, when right-wing politician Giorgia Melani was appointed Prime Minister of Italy. With this law in place, organisers of illegal raves risk up to six years of prison, with the minimum punishment being three years – six times the minimum punishment for kidnapping.

Fueled by the desire to continue promoting the culture of the free party movement, Valerio began his ongoing photo series Frammento, Italian for “fragment”. “Each shot tells a story about someone, something or somewhere that made me who I am,” he says. Rebelliousness and pride are recurring themes throughout. In one image, a group of young adults take to the streets of Milan to protest; in another, a leather jacket is adorned with the mantra “techno is my religion”. 

Flipping through Valerio’s digital photo books of raw black and white images, it’s clear that the young photographer values capturing reality over romance. “Today, we’re used to taking photos every day with our phones,” he says, “and the fact that we can immediately see the results drives us to search for the perfect shot instead of capturing what we’re seeing as it is.”

Despite the lack of colour, Valerio’s images burst with energy and liveliness, highlighting the restlessness of Italian youths. “I believe that colourful pictures can sometimes distract the viewer from what has been captured in the photo while black and white makes everything more balanced,” he adds.

Frammento tells a story of youth culture all over Italy, but the heart of it remains Milan, where Valerio discovered the richness of the rave culture. “Just like for every big city that never sleeps, it can make me feel small and almost invisible to the world,” he reflects. In the sometimes daunting streets of Milan, Valerio and his friends find refuge in the underground scene. “In this community, I found my own freedom and friends that are more like a family to me now,” says Valerio. “Even though most of us are not from Milan, this city has become our home.”

You can follow the progress of Frammento on Valerio’s Instagram. 

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