The Library's small exhibitions – Inside and out: two worlds in dialogue

From Saturday 7 February to Saturday 7 March, the “Giovanni Ferrero” Civic Library will host the exhibition “Outside and Inside: Two Worlds in Dialogue” by photographer  Daniele Robotti, organised in collaboration with the Municipal Guarantor of the rights of persons deprived of personal liberty,
Emilio De Vitto, and with the Department of Social and Welfare Policies of the Municipality of Alba.

"Outside-inside" is a project that explores the existential fracture created by prison: on one side, the unceasingly moving outside world; on the other, a suspended reality where time takes on other dimensions.
The photographs on display, all in black and white, explore how the "outside" lives in the inmates' imaginations through snapshots, letters, and memories, becoming a constant presence precisely in its absence. Family affections are transformed: condensed into limited visits and precious words, they redefine roles and relationships in a regulated context. At the core is the prisoner's divided identity, suspended between two worlds: one anchored to outside life, the other adapted to the logic of prison. Temporalities diverge dramatically: inside, repetitive days and interminable waits; outside, an evolving world, changing seasons, growing children. The "outside" represents the horizon of return, filled with hopes and fears: the desire for reintegration but also the fear of stigma, the challenge of rebuilding one's existence in a world transformed during the absence. Preparing for the return means maintaining a dialogue with that external reality and cultivating the resources to start over beyond the walls.

Daniele Robotti is a professional photographer with thirty years of experience in the field, spanning news, travel, social reporting, and nature photography. His current photographic work focuses on stories and subjects related to investigative, portrait, and fine-art photography.