Run Like Hell, Pinocchio!

The Pinocchio figure appears suspended in an awkward, unresolved gesture. His arms are open, his body twisted, as if caught between obedience and escape. Around him, other small figures barely surface from the darkness, their forms eroded by shadow and grain. The architectural background—arched, dense, almost geological—anchors the scene in a space that feels historical and civic rather than domestic or playful.

The photograph embraces technical imperfection. Grain is pronounced, colour drifts toward muted browns and oxidised blues, and contrast is uneven. These qualities recall the materiality of analogue processes and the instability of memory—both central to how culture is actually experienced, rather than curated.

The lens choice maintains a human, observational distance. There is no dramatic distortion, no heroic perspective. The shallow depth of field isolates the figure just enough to suggest intention, while still allowing the environment to press in.