BACK – Photographic exhibition

*Di Schiena* - a photographic project by Lucia Bianchi dedicated to violence against women. The protagonists of the photographs are women who reveal the most vulnerable and hidden part of themselves, the part they cannot see and leave to the gaze of others: their backs. Every day, a woman shows herself to the world through her face, gestures, and the smiles she gives others. Behind her, however, lies a part that remains in the shadows. It is there that thoughts, fatigue, and sleepless nights rest. The back is the area where one is most exposed and least protected, the one we often prefer to hide. In *Di Schiena*, this vulnerability ceases to be a weakness to be concealed and becomes a sign of strength. The photographs pay homage to women, to their strength: there is no longer any fear, and they reveal themselves in their vulnerability. Born from the author's appeal, to which many women responded, the project became a photography book in 2018. It is linked to the collaboration with Me.Dea, an anti-violence center based in Alessandria. The author says: "There is a phrase that is dear to me: The back is the part you can't see, the one you leave to others. The back weighs on thoughts" (Margaret Mazzantini) -". The exhibition is held in Alba in collaboration with the Municipality of Alba and the city councils. It is part of the calendar of events for the Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25th. *Lucia Bianchi* Born in Pisa and living in Ovada (AL), Lucia Bianchi has been a photographer since adolescence. She has worked on portraits, landscapes, still life and street photography. Her main projects narrate the world of women: I passi delle donne, Schiene, Comequandofuoripiove and Disperanza. Schiene and Disperanza have spawned two photography books. She has been the official photographer for national and international competitions, a musical and the women's soccer team ASD Boys and Girls of Ovada. She has photographed live concerts for twenty years. Today he is working on the third chapter of the trilogy he began with Di Schiena and Disperanza.