Tommaso Tanini: “H. said he loved us” – An Oppressive Investigation

Born in Florence (Italy) in 1979. From 2003 to 2006 I attended a 3-years photography course at Fondazione Studio Marangoni. Since 2009 I work as a freelance photographer and a photography professor. In 2013, with two colleagues, I founded Discipula, a collaborative platform and independent publisher.

Italy – 

Following three years of travels and investigations in Germany, published by Discipula Editions Photography feature – Tommaso Tanini’s H. Said He Loved Us draws on the story of the GDR and the German Ministry for State Security (STASI) to explore the feelings of oppression and dread caused by living in a state of constant suspicion and diffidence. Mingling documentary research and literary references within a fictional narrative framework, his personal photographic study is an elegantly oppressive allegory of authoritarianism and domination.

The images of H. Said He Loved Us are immersed in a world devoid of names and references. Their timeless and spaceless nature reveals instead subtle and psychological qualities. Anonymous corners and small details of urban landscape become enigmatic monuments that echo the feelings of the people Tanini encountered during his research. There is a sinister quietness in the meticulously crafted spaces of his photographs that invokes contemplation.


4


Emerging from this austere landscape, the stories of five victims of the STASI are presented as a patchwork of collected documents, autobiographical notes, found images and portraits. This way, they acquire a new fragmented spirit, and become loose, anonymous and interactive accounts.

Structured as a rich mosaic of traces and suggestions, H. Said He Loved Us subtly warns us about the cyclical and evil nature of any form of totalitarianism, without imposing any unilateral vision and avoiding clichés.

 

Text by Mfg Paltrinieri & Federica Chiocchetti

Related Posts

Julia Borissova: The Farther Shore

Russia –   The book “The Farther Shore” is about how the history of the past and present endowed with ...

Alberto Lizaralde: “everything will be ok”

Spain –  In life we all go through good times and bad times over and over, tirelessly. I went through ...

Colin Pantall on Paul Gaffney’s We Make the Path by Walking

Ireland – Paul Gaffney sent me his lovely book, We Make the Path by Walking. It’s a gorgeous book that creates a ...

You Get Me – Mahtab Hussain

England – You Get Me is a series that has taken four years to complete and addresses the changing identity ...

Tiane Doan na Champassak: Dick 999

India –    THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENT Dick 999 published by RVB Books is a collection of anonymous photographs ...

Mayumi Hosokura: Crystal Love Starlight

Japan – THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENTIn her new series, ‘Crystal Love Starlight’, Hosokura’s unique style is combined with an ...

Robert Zhao Renhui: Singapore 1925-2025

Singapore –  The Land Archive chronicles the significant changes in Singapore’s natural and urban landscape that have occurred over a ...

Jiehao Su: “Borderland” – Reconstructing Personal Memories

China –  Borderland is a project deeply rooted in my personal history. I spent my early twenties living a nomadic ...

Colombian Gangsta and other stories – Kosuke Okahara

Japan –  In an attempt to find new ways of communicating a story, Kosuke has recently produced the first issue ...