Opening tomorrow, February 4, in the spaces of L’Artiere Bookshop, We Are Family takes place on the occasion of Art City Bologna. The project stems from an urgent and necessary reflection on the idea of family today, in a historical moment marked by conflict, instability, and a widespread sense of isolation. The group exhibition expands the concept of the family unit beyond its traditional definition, embracing relationships built over time: couples, bonds between parents and children, connections formed by growing up together, educational communities, and chosen families rooted in mutual care, shared work, and everyday closeness.

The projects on view tell intimate stories, experienced from within, where photography moves beyond being a simple documentary tool to become an active part of the relationship itself. The photographic act takes shape as a gesture of presence, attention, and responsibility, capable of entering the emotional space of its subjects and offering an authentic narrative of affective dynamics. Family thus emerges as a place of growth and transformation, but also of loss, fragility, and learning: a space where one learns to rely on others and to build, day by day, a deep sense of belonging.

Within this context, We Are Family affirms the contemporary need to recognize and create affective communities capable of supporting the individual. The families portrayed are not merely private structures, but true micro-societies founded on solidarity, trust, and the possibility of moving forward together, despite the difficulties of the outside world. A fluid and inclusive idea of family, reflecting the social and cultural transformations of our time.

The exhibition brings together works by Martina Bacigalupo, Angela Cappetta, Lois Conner, Kristen Joy Emack, Amy Friend, Greg Miller, Andrea Modica, Scott Offen, and Cheryle St. Onge.

cover image: a photograph by Angela Cappetta, Glendalis