Tiziana Valeriano: Anime Libere

Photographs by Tiziana Valeriano

In the exhibition Anime Libere, photographer Tiziana Valeriano leads us into the heart of Parco della Chiusa in Casalecchio di Reno, a vast green sanctuary traversed by the famed Via degli Dei, linking Bologna to Florence. Here, amidst the calm and abundance of nature, lives a colony of free and elusive cats, lovingly cared for by the association I Mici del Parco della Chiusa Odv, founded in 2023, dedicated to their well-being through sterilization, monitoring, and daily care.

Rather than simply documenting the colony, Tiziana follows an invisible thread: the essence of feline freedom. This freedom, innate to all cats, finds an extraordinary expression in the Parco della Chiusa. Some cats remain distant and wary, while others offer genuine open-air ‘cat-therapy’ sessions, both cuddling and being cuddled by park visitors. All inhabit an expansive, natural landscape, sometimes appearing as magical figures within an enchanted forest.

Through a patient, attentive, and respectful gaze, Tiziana transforms these fleeting encounters into suspended images, where the cats’ presence merges seamlessly with the poetry of the surroundings. The exhibition’s title, Anime Libere (Free Souls), is inspired by Charles Bukowski:

A free soul is rare, but when you see one, you recognize it, especially because you feel a sense of well-being when you are near it.

(Charles Bukowski, “a bad trip” in Stories of Ordinary Madness)

This sentiment perfectly embodies the spirit of the exhibition: each photograph is a tribute to the silent, authentic freedom of cats, while inviting viewers to recognize in them a reflection of our own deepest nature.

Tiziana’s approach blends naturalistic photography with a reportage sensibility, portraying the cats as wild and spiritual presences, harmoniously integrated into the park’s ecosystem. The distance she maintains, essential to respect their shy nature, becomes part of her visual language: each image emerges from waiting, listening, and following the animals’ spontaneity.

With Anime Libere, Tiziana Valeriano invites us to slow down, observe with discretion, and discover the poetry that lies in the spaces between the wild and the domestic, between apparition and mystery.

You can find Tiziana Valeriano’s photos on her Instagram profile @lafotografadigatti.

To learn more about the association I Mici del Parco della Chiusa, you can follow them on Instagram e Facebook.