Italy | 2017 – Ongoing
Massimo Pellone’s powerful, long-term project documents the Vele di Scampia in Naples—a forgotten urban landscape grappling with the ghosts of its past and the struggle for a new identity. Once synonymous with organized crime, Scampia now stands as a stark monument to state neglect, a place where a complex, vulnerable, and profoundly human community persists amidst crumbling concrete.
Pellone moves beyond media sensationalism to reveal the intimate, everyday lives unfolding within the neighborhood. His lens captures a reality defined by profound duality:
The photographs reveal the raw poverty and isolation left in the wake of the Camorra’s retreat. They show the resignation and sadness of residents facing a lack of infrastructure—from the communal shouting that replaces broken intercoms to the grim, garbage-filled shafts that were once elevators.
Yet, a spirit of fierce attachment and pride permeates the frames. We see the determination of women like Patrizia, who fights for legality, and the essential commerce of survivors like Ida, who rises before dawn to sell paper towels downtown. These are not merely statistics; they are neighbors, friends, and family, exemplified by a young resident’s defiant love: “I am a child of Scampia. The Vele are a part of me.”
Pellone’s work is an intimate, unflinching testament to the human condition. By focusing on simple, tender moments—the delivery of groceries, a young person’s workshop, a hairdresser in a garage—he honors the dignity of those rebuilding their lives on brittle foundations.
As the remaining ‘Sails’ (Vele) face demolition, the project serves as a vital archive. It is a visual dialogue between a forgotten community and a society that left it behind, demanding that we recognize the fragile humanity and the unyielding hope that continues to bloom between the fractured walls of Scampia.
About the Artist
Massimo Pellone (b. 1974, Naples) is a reportage photographer known for his intimate and enduring commitment to long-term social projects. Since 2017, his work has been dedicated exclusively to charting the ongoing narrative of the Vele di Scampia.
