[May 7, 2020]

The nurse, her lips pursed, looks beaten down. But it is the marks on her skin that reflect the impact of the days spent at the front in a mask. All of Italian photographer Alberto Giuliani’s portraits taken at the San Salvatore hospital in Pesaro, a city on the Adriatic, testify to the commitment of the nurses, anaesthetists, and surgeons to the fight against COVID-19. The moving series, accompanied by commentary by some of the subjects, is one among the numerous online programs of the CONTACT Photography Festival in Toronto, which has cancelled its 2020 edition. The programs, composed of previously unseen offerings, videos and other kinds of projects, will be hosted constantly throughout May. Rather than displaying the series initially scheduled, Giuliani is presenting these extremely relevant portraits. For the occasion, the festival has received the support of the IstitutoItaliano di Culturain Toronto.

* Quebec premier François Legault has used the term “Guardian Angels” to acknowledge healthcare workers during his daily pandemic press conferences.