Diego Saldiva studied Social Communication at ESPM/São Paulo between 2001 and 2005. Between 2009 and 2011 he studied at the School of Photography in Vevey, Switzerland. He was the winner of the Prix Photoforum 2011, Biel (CH), finalist of the 15. vfg Nachwuchsförderpreis 2011 (CH), Nominated Paul Huff Awards 2012 and selected by PhotoOFF 2012, during ParisPhoto festival in France. Saldiva was also an Honorable Mention in the Festival Encontros da Images (Braga, PT). In 2015 he was selected at Belfast Photo Festival and the Visible White Prize in Florence, Italy, and also received an Honorable Mention Award in PhotoIreland and Prêmio Paraty em Foco, Brazil, that same year. The project Momentos e Máculas took the form of a book with the award promoted by the State Government of São Paulo and with the help of the city and the Canton of Berne, Switzerland.
Gigantes
1. According to Hesiod’s Theogony, the Gigantes were a tribe of one hundred Giants born of Gaia, the Earth, from the drops of blood that fell when Uranus, the Sky, was castrated by their Titan son Kronos and had his testicles cast into the sea. The origin of the story of the Gigantes must probably be sought for in similar physical phenomena in nature.
2. Brazil. Peak viewing time. Kids and adults from the 1970s would watch them on TV: Os Gigantes do Ringue (The Giants of the Ring). Influenced by the Mexican Lucha Libre, this freestyle wrestling crew saw its fame spread beyond national borders, presenting characters from all kinds to their audience, mixing wrestling and theater. Today, far from the popularity from the early days and not enough appeal for big TV channels, the attempt of a “come back” seems to be difficult. Looking for links between mythology and reality, between the fantastic and the pragmatic, I try to portray a group that, being permanently renewed, fights to have that former glory.
To view more of Diego Saldiva’s work please visit his website.