Description

In spring of 2015, Lorenzo Meloni travelled to Libya, a country torn by growing political instabilities, the consequences of its second civil war. He reported unspeakable acts of violence and documented the ongoing battle to eradicate Islamic State while two governments confronted each other via armed militias. Meloni explored the ever-present threat of terrorism and its effects on fighters and civilian bystanders alike. He also documented thousands of migrants, captured, imprisoned and used as political leverage. Pictured here, a member of the Third Force patrols the Libyan desert.

I follow the themes and places that I’ve always been interested in, and I work as hard as possible

Lorenzo Meloni
© Lorenzo Meloni | Magnum Photos

Lorenzo Meloni was born and raised in Rome. After having worked as an IT security engineer for a few years, he decides to follow his passion for photography and in 2008 he began studying. During his studies, Meloni initially focused on local gangs, rappers and raves. However, his interest soon moved to the Middle East conflicts.

He followed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2009, Yemen’s rapid decline in 2010 and the Arab Spring. His first works were published by Time, L’Espresso and Internazionale. In 2011, he finished his photography studies and immediately entered Contrasto, a major Italian photographic agency. His work currently focuses on the political balances of the Middle East and the consequences of its conflicts on the population. He moved to Beirut (2012 – 2014) and dedicated himself to long-term projects regarding the aftermath of the fall of Gaddafi in Libya, the conflict in Syria, with a certain attention to area of Rojava, and its consequences in Lebanon.

His work has been exhibited at Italian and international festivals such as the Venice Biennale, Visa pour L’Image, Les Rencontres d’Arles, Boutographies and Fotoleggendo and it has been featured in internationally prominent publications including The Telegraph, TIME, Le Figaro, Vanity Fair, Internazionale, L’Espresso, La Repubblica.

© Lorenzo Meloni | Magnum Photos

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