What inspired you to start publishing books?
I started taking pictures when I was around 17. From that moment, driven and inspired by the work of Mario Giacomelli I never stopped looking at pictures and studying photography, but I never imagined that I would publish a book by Giacomelli 25 years later. During those years, I held a few exhibitions and published a few books with my own images, but I soon realized I wasn't a "true" artist. Meanwhile, I had started collecting books and hanging out with very talented people. So it came quite naturally to me to start publishing photobooks with other artists' works. It became a form of artistic expression in its own right.
What draws you to the photobook as a format?
I like to imagine a photobook as a kind of magic box, where something extremely controlled happens (design rules, printing limits) but at the same time you have the space to create something unique, driven by your feelings more than your thoughts.
How has your practice changed over time?
It changed a lot. At the beginning it was like a game, printing just a few copies. It was fun. Then it became more serious; offset printing, designers involved, traveling everywhere for photobook fairs, working with a distributor. Also the relationship with artists changed. At the beginning I used to work with people around my age. Now I'm 43, and working with younger generations is not always so easy. Photography has changed, the world is changing and it's quite hard to keep up. Also the number of publishers, even small publishers like me, has increased a lot. Production costs are crazy. It forces you to be very precise in every choice you make.
What's a book you've been involved with that surprised you — either in how it came together or how it landed?
"The first day of good weather" by Vittorio Mortarotti surprised me a lot. It has a great content and I love how it was executed. Also It signaled the beginning of a beautiful friendship and a prolific collaboration. It's a book from 2015 but I think it's still very contemporary.
What's next for you?
I really don't know. I'm considering what to do and whether publishing books in this era is still what I want. I certainly won't stop loving photography, even though in recent years it's become a passion increasingly difficult for me to keep alive.