Since 2021, Rencontres de la photographie en Gaspésie has been collaborating with the Italian Cultural Institute in Montreal and various Italian festivals such as Cortona On The Move and the Gibellina Photoroad Festival. This partnership fosters artist mobility and strengthens exchanges between Québec and Italy, while allowing both Italian and Gaspesian audiences to discover different approaches to contemporary photography.
Italian Artists in the Gaspé Peninsula and Québec Artists in Italy
Over the years, several Italian photographers have been invited to present their work as part of the festival: Valeria Luongo in 2021; Alessandra Calò in 2022; Ilaria Abbiento and Roselena Ramistella in 2023; Luana Rigolli in 2024; and Davide Degano in 2025. On the Québec side, the work of artists Jessica Auer, Cince Johnston, Eliane Excoffier and Sarah Boutin has been presented in Italy through partner festivals.
These exchanges have also given rise to artist residencies and a publication combining photography and poetry.
A Publication Born from a Residency
Published in Italy by Danilo Montanari Editore, the book emerged from a meeting between two artistic sensibilities. Invited for a residency by Rencontres de la photographie en Gaspésie in 2024, photographer Alessandra Calò asked residents of Baie-des-Chaleurs to entrust her with their family albums.
From these vintage photographs, the artist created new compositions imbued with memory and visual poetry. Inspired by those images, author France Cayouette composed a series of poems blending realism and dreamlike elements.
Matteo de Mayda, Guest Artist in 2026
This year, the festival welcomes Italian photographer Matteo de Mayda, who is presenting the exhibition There’s No Calm After the Storm in Mont-Louis. As part of Rencontres on Tour, from August 20 to 22, the artist will be present to engage with the public and discuss his artistic practice. The public is invited to meet him on Saturday, August 22 at 2 p.m. in front of Auberge L’Amarré, at the site of his exhibition.
Luana Rigolli, a Residency in the Magdalen Islands
In 2024, Italian artist Luana Rigolli presented her exhibition Isole Nere in Paspébiac. Building on this collaboration, she will be welcomed in autumn 2026 in Magdalen Islands by our partner AdMare, a center for contemporary arts, for an artist residency.
The work produced during this residency will be presented in 2027 during the 18th edition of Rencontres de la photographie en Gaspésie.
Exchanges That Continue
By circulating artists, works and ideas between Québec and Italy, this partnership helps enrich practices and perspectives on contemporary photography. It also forges lasting ties between artistic communities and offers the public new opportunities for encounters and discoveries.
Top image : © Matteo de Mayda. Flying trees. Fallen trees lifted by a helicopter from a path near Digonera (Belluno, Italy).