The inspiration Elegìa (Elegy) was a family trip to Sicily for the artist's parents' wedding anniversary, who invited their children and grandchildren to spend time with them for the occasion. While the camera captured private moments, it also allowed the author to turn his attention to Sicily's artistic, cultural and natural heritage.

The shots taken on the slopes of Mount Etna, of the Doric columns of the temple of Segesta and of Sicily's lush nature subsequently became an artistic work (Mio malgrado) printed using a technique popular in the United States in the 1960s called “gum print” (or lithography on paper).

The 2018 matrices, preserved by the artist after being used to create the gum prints, subsequently became an independent work: the Elegìa series, consisting of 24 unique large-format works.

The author scanned the analogue negatives and then used a laser plotter to print the subjects. The matrices are photocopies on plain paper that were brushed with shellac on the back to thicken the sheets before inking and brushing with gum arabic. Then, they were placed in the engraving press.

Published on the occasion of the 2026 exhibition at Lab1930, Milan