Gilda – Alessandra Sposetti

"One day, in a moving house in Rio de Janeiro, I found seventeen handwritten cooking notebooks. Under a dustjacket, I discovered the name of the owner: Gilda."

Old and greasy recipe notebooks are Gilda's starting point, a photobook by chef and photographer Alessandra Sposetti. The book, which could simply be a nostalgic exercise in times of gourmetization of almost everything (from tapioca to pastel), stands out for its acid humor and social criticism of what the preparation of luxurious suppers entails.

Owner of the notebooks that inspired the photobook, Gilda was the wife of an ambassador and, because of her husband's position, she dedicated herself to organizing and participating in elegant dinners. In her old recipe notebooks and good etiquette, she takes notes and collects clippings from newspapers and magazines. Through Alessandra's eyes, we follow a typical feast day journey: visiting the markets, cooking with the maids, setting the table and getting ready for a big event.

Awards/Exhibitions:

Fotobookfestival Kassel Dummy Award - Shortlisted

PHOTO 2020 x Perimeter

ZUM Festival 2018 - highlight

FOLA

Istanbul Photobook Festival