The book follows a consistent structure for each call. The first screenshot marks the beginning, the sequence records the passing moments, and the last closes the conversation. As this pattern repeats, subtle shifts emerge—expressions, seasons, and the passage of time. Without any extraordinary events, the repetition of everyday moments becomes the clearest proof of a relationship.
Giannini transforms the most ordinary digital record into a new kind of family portrait for our time. In an era where digital communication became routine after the pandemic, this project exemplifies how technology can offer new ways to document and preserve relationships. The message that greetings through a screen can become the truest portrait also poses a question about the very essence of photography.
I Call My Mom goes beyond a simple photobook, offering reflection on family relationships and recording practices in the digital age. Giannini's work proposes a new visual language at the intersection of art and everyday life, technology and emotion.
FAQ
What is Giacomo Giannini's I CALL MY MOM?
A photobook documenting every video call screenshot the artist captured with his mother from 2018 to 2021. Thousands of images habitually captured without artistic intent accumulated, transforming ordinary check-ins into a private archive recording time.
How is the I CALL MY MOM photobook structured?
Each call follows a consistent structure: the first screenshot records the beginning, middle screens capture time spent together, and the final image marks the call's end. Through this repeated pattern, changes in expressions, seasons, and time naturally emerge, proving relationships through daily repetition without special events.
What is the significance of Giacomo Giannini's work?
It proposes a new family-portrait format for the digital age. Transforming ordinary video-call digital records—normalized post-pandemic—into art, it demonstrates how technology can become a novel way to record and preserve relationships. A contemporary example redefining photography's essence where art and daily life, technology and emotion intersect.
