Matteo de Mayda continues his investigation into the consequences of Storm Vaia in a new book that grew out of three workshops with writer Cosimo Bizzarri held in the communities hit by the storm eight years ago. Working with around fifty teenagers and the artists Ruggge, Alvvino and Giacomo Covacich, they used mask-making, cyanotype and collage to explore memories of the storm and how these communities are rebuilding.
Eight years after Storm Vaia, photographer Matteo de Mayda and writer Cosimo Bizzarri returned to the communities affected by the disaster, creating space and providing tools for residents to tell their own stories and portray the places they call home. In 2026, with the support of the Premio Basilico, de Mayda and Bizzarri brought together around fifty teenagers aged 13 to 18 for three workshops developed in collaboration with artists Ruggge, Alvvino and Giacomo Covacich. Through mask-making, cyanotype and collage, participants explored the connections between their inner worlds and the ecosystems around them, weaving memories of Vaia together with personal reflections, confessions and dreams. There's No Calm After the Storm. Visual Experiments Together with Communities Hit by Vaia extends de Mayda's ongoing visual research, bringing it into dialogue with the perspectives and ways of seeing that emerged among younger generations during the workshops. The project explores the processes of repair and how communities respond to the social and ecological changes triggered by the storm.
