'Silent Spring', the silent spring of environmentalism in TerraProject's shots

Silent Spring. Entitled Silent Spring, the project by photographers Michele Borzoni and Rocco Rorandelli of the TerraProject collective explores the climate protection movements in Europe, documenting the commitment of activists and the growing conflict with institutions.

The authors' interest stems from the realisation that the younger generations find in defending the planet a ground for expression, a way to channel frustration towards a system that has betrayed them, fight eco-anxiety and build communities based on the need for change.

The project that will be the protagonist of the Festival of European Photography in Reggio Emilia at Palazzo Da Mosto (from 24 April to 8 June) started in 2021 and followed numerous groups: from Extinction Rebellion to Code Rouge, from Ende Gelände to Last Generation, passing through End Fossil and Soulèvements de la Terre.

These activist groups block highways and ports, occupy offices and construction sites, organise temporary villages, and adopt sustainable lifestyles as an alternative to the climate crisis. And meanwhile, a growing number of governments are countering these protests with all the tools they have at their disposal.

The title of the project is meant to be a metaphor for the rebirth of youth-led activism together with a tribute to the almost prophetic work of Rachel Carson who in 1962, with her Silent Spring, denounced the devastating impact of man-made pollution on the natural world. Carson's work was instrumental in bringing environmentalism into the American public debate and contributing to the growth of the US environmental movement.