Vincenzo Pietropaolo is a renowned Italian-Canadian photographer who has dedicated his career to documenting the lives and struggles of immigrants, workers, and marginalized communities. He was born in 1951 in Calabria, Italy, and immigrated to Canada with his family in 1957.
He settled in Toronto, where he witnessed the vibrant culture and rituals of the Italian diaspora, especially in Little Italy. He began taking photographs at a young age, and published his first work in This Magazine in 1971, depicting immigrant workers on strike.
Since then, he has published several books and exhibited his work around the world, winning numerous awards and recognition for his social commentary and empathy. Some of his notable projects include Ritual, a historical documentation of the Good Friday procession in Toronto’s Little Italy; Harvest Pilgrims, a photographic chronicle of the Mexican and Caribbean migrant farm workers in Canada; and Not Paved with Gold, a portrait of the Italian-Canadian immigrants in the 1970s.
Date: Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: In-person event at the Canadian Museum of Immigration
Language: Presented in English
Cost: FREE
The photographs, some of which will also be shared at this event, are grouped around short essays written by Pietropaolo, that explore his particular interests and observations, often questions of social justice, which, in turn, inform the photographs themselves.
This poetic portrayal of the city of Toronto documents the daily life of ordinary citizens, at work, at play, in celebration, in protest, and in mourning. The book includes images of many parks and natural areas and some of the city’s architecture.
These images will invoke the reader’s sense of nostalgia, inviting reflection on the city that once was, how it became the city it is, and how it continues to develop and grow into a city of our imaginations.
