The art of serving, the sense of giving back

Insights into Volunteering Through Photography and Film

As a volunteer for a major Turin and international organization that offers shelter to people in need, I waited to create a project to promote social volunteering through photography, reflecting for a long time on how I could contribute through my art.
One evening after seeing Wim Wenders's latest film, Perfect Days, my enthusiasm made me sense a subtle connection between the German director's film and another masterpiece, that of Canadian artist and photographer Jeff Wall: a large-scale black and white photograph (2x3m) created in 1996 through a tableau vivant, or "living picture" (i.e., an artistic performance in which actors, models, or dancers assume static poses to recreate a work of art, such as a painting or sculpture), entitled "The Volunteer."
Being a simulation of reality and not a reportage, the work features an extra in the guise of a volunteer at a human services center, captured during a break.

The poetics of everyday life outlined in Perfect Days highlights that it is not simply a film about the life of a man who cleans the public toilets of a large metropolis (Tokyo), but a work that celebrates the beauty and dignity of everyday gestures, even the most humble.
The protagonist, Hirayama, embodies a kind of "inner volunteerism." His dedication to his work, his attention to detail, and his serenity reflect a profound respect for the community and the world around him.

I therefore thought I could capture some of the repetitive gestures of the volunteers who generously take turns in the complex reality of Sermig – Arsenale della Pace. Simple gestures like preparing a meal, washing a shirt or the floor of a dining hall, watering the numerous plants that adorn this unique metropolitan monastery. It loves to share beauty and values, preserving them from that part of society that deems them obsolete, but which are instead expressions of care and dedication.

When I was finally able to begin work, I immediately thought of creating photographs that would prompt the viewer to reflect and, if possible, avoid lingering on superficial aspects, just as Jeff Wall's work teaches: I wanted to portray the volunteer not so much in the act of working as to focus on the moment afterward, when fatigue mixes with satisfaction. This moment is crucial; it is when the human dimension and the weight of the accomplished gesture are perceived.
While the work isn't yet fully completed, I hope the intent is clear: I wanted to show volunteers for what they are, without idealization, but with profound respect for those who do what they do.

Luca Periotto
Focus
NP August/September 2025