After an eventful childhood marked by constant changes of homes and context and an adolescence driven by the obsessive need to find my way, one day in the early 90’s I stumbled upon photography: as a journey in the exterior and the inner world, it befitted my nature. Since then, I have worked passionately, restlessly and with dedication, keep searching for an emotional tension which brings a sense of wonder. In 2011 a dramatic event changed my life and my relation with time. From then on, I started to look at what I was doing with new eyes and determination. An imaginary map of belonging was finally showing its shape. The passage of time forms a new alphabet, a new language, and stimulates a revelation: memory emerges, experience transforms into something much wider. Through photography I attempt to leave traces of a presence made from encounters and moments in the present, through which I try to build a feeling of timeless belonging – my reality. My intention is to structure my constellation, which should speak about my relation to others as much as about me. Works born of casual encounters made outside my daily life alternate and are mixed with more strictly autobiographical ones: the latter could not exist without the former.
Ultimately, my work is characterized by long term projects focusing on personal experience, memory and the relation between individual stories, history and the present time.

BIOGRAPHY

1973
Lorenzo Castore was born in Florence on June 22nd.

1977
His parents separate.

1979-1981
Lives in Florence, then one year in Otranto and again in Florence. Throughout childhood and adolescence, he often changes homes.

1982
Moves to Rome with his mother and her new partner.

1992
Lives in New York where works at Bob Seligman’s TV shows production office. Begins to photograph in the streets.

1993
Returns to Rome where studies Law and in the meantime photographs Termini Railway Station and Casilino 700 gipsy camp.

1997
Travels in India with his friends Giorgio Mortari and Saverio Costanzo: this trip marks an important step. Goes by chance at Alinari Gallery in Florence to see Exils, Josef Koudelka exhibition. This show causes a deep and strong impression on him: it changes his perspective and convinces him to devote himself exclusively to photography. Learns the basics of photographic and dark-room techniques.

1998
Wins the Dintorni dello Sguardo Award and realizes a work for it photographing the west-coast of Genova.

1999
Immediately after his degree in Law goes to Albania and Kosovo where photographs elderly Serbians imprisoned in an orthodox monastery under siege. Comes back with a frustrating feeling of disillusion regarding news and photojournalism. Decides of not going anymore where things are happening – at least not before understanding more about himself and his own inner pushes – but where things happened. First trip to Silesia, Poland. His base is Gliwice, the town where Hitler attacked the Radio Station provoking the beginning of World War II.

2000
Back to Silesia, Poland where photographs especially in the coal-mines and to India where photographs the routes to river Ganges and its tributaries sources.

2001
Again India photographing the Maha Kumbh Mela, then Silesia, Poland and New York where photographs Ground Zero and the 9/11 impact. Joins Grazia Neri Agency. Starts to document the construction of many buildings for the prestigious architecture studio Gregotti Associati International. Meets Michael Ackerman in Milan.

2001-2002
Realizes the color series Paradiso in Havana, Cuba and in Mexico City, Mexico. Meets film-maker Adam Cohen. Starts to document the work of the sculptor Giuseppe Spagnulo.

2003-2004
Meets Christian Caujolle and joins Agence/Galerie VU'. In Paris, among the others, meets Anders Petersen and Stanley Greene who have a strong impact on him, both on a human and photographic level. Works on Nero in South-western Sardinia. Wins the Mario Giacomelli Award. Starts giving workshops regularly, activity that continues regularly until today. His first book Nero is published by Federico Motta Editore.

2005
Works in Italy, France, Spain, Poland and Germany. Wins the Leica European Publishers’ Award. The book Paradiso is published by six European publishers.

2006
Moves to Cracow, Poland. Travels and works around Europe.

2007-2008
He’s in Hungary, Italy, Germany, Bosnia and Greece. Starts to photograph middle aged brother and sister Ewa and Piotr Sosnowski and works on Ultimo Domicilio, a long-term project about interiors of houses just before being abandoned.

2009
Shoots and directs with Adam Cohen his first film No Peace Without War.

2010-2013
Continues to work with Ewa and Piotr, at Ultimo Domicilio and at Time Maze. He’s one of the ten Italian photographers selected to realise a personal work in occasion of Confindustria century anniversary. In late 2011, his best friend Giorgio Mortari suddenly passed away. Starts a long term collaboration with the composer Emanuele de Raymondi and works with the Austrian musician Christian Fennesz.

2012
No Peace Without War wins the Golden Frog as Best Short Documentary at Camerimage International Film Festival, Poland.

2011-2013
Documents the demolition of the former Expo area and then the construction of buildings for Citylife by Zaha Hadid, Arata Isozaki and Daniel Libeskind in Milan.

2013
Works on Sogno #5, a photo-theatre-sound project realized with bipolar patients in the former Mental Institution Leonardo Bianchi in Naples.

2014
Realizes his second short film Casarola, a childhood memories dreamlike fairytale taking place in the Bertolucci’s family house in the mountains close to Parma.

2015
Photographs his grandmother’s house just after her death. Works at the development of Luz Network and Agency. After years of preparation starts to work at Glitter Blues, a work on a queer community in Catania, Sicily: he goes there four times per year for long stays. The book Ultimo Domicilio is published by L’Artiere and curated by Laura Serani.

2016
Continues to work in Catania. Begins to work with Eloi Gimeno on the editorial graphic concept and on the editing of Time Maze, a lifelong book made of progressive chronological volumes: a literary autobiography in photographic form where the past is re-written and re-invented, therefore somehow revealed. Collaborates with the choreographer and director Enzo Cosimi at his two new pieces, Estasi and Corpus Hominis.

2017
Works in Catania with intensity and commitment. Realises a series in memory of his dear friend and great sculptor Giuseppe Spagnulo.

2018
Continues his photographic work in Catania on his group of queer friends in the San Berillo neighborhood. He is included in the historic group exhibitions 100 Years of Leica and Eyes Wild Open. He returns to India after 17 years and works there with Michael Ackerman on a joint project that is still ongoing. He is invited by the Gliwice Museum for an art residency in Silesia. The book Ewa & Piotr - Si vis pacem, para bellum is published by Les Editions Noir sur Blanc with art direction by friend and holistic book-designer Eloi Gimeno.

2019
Finishes his work in Catania. Eloi Gimeno tragically passes away shortly before the publication of 1994-2001 | A beginning, the first volume of Time Maze. L'Artiere agrees to be the lifetime publisher of the entire editorial project. Land book on 20 years of work in Silesia is also being published this year by emerging Polish publisher Blow Up Press. At the end of the year his father almost suddenly passes away.

2020
Returns twice to India with Michael Ackerman to continue their joint work Photo Divine Studio. He developed the idea of W, a fictional work in memory of his father about the longing of a man nearing the end inspired by Thomas Mann's Death in Venice for which he made photographs and Super 8 footage in Venice with performer Alice Raffaelli. He is invited by the director of the Planches Contact Festival Laura Serani to realise a residency in Normandy, which resulted in the work Théo & Salomé about the first love of a teenage couple.

2021
Edits with Stefano Galanti the film W and then follows the composition of the original music and soundtrack by Emanuele de Raymondi. Extensively photographs the home of the great director and friend Bernardo Bertolucci before the house where he had lived for so long with his wife Clare was returned to its owner. Works at the layout of 2001-2007 | Lack & Longing, the second volume of Time Maze. Glitter Blues is published by Blow Up Press.

2022
The book 2001-2007 | Lack & Longing is published by L’Artiere. The film W is released together with the artist's book Walls published by Grani Edizioni consisting mainly of stills from the film. After the disappearance of Patrizia Cavalli, extensively photographs her home shortly before it was emptied and closed. He is invited by the director of the Biennale Musica Lucia Ronchetti to work on the Out of Stage edition.

2023
He is invited in Sète by the festival Images Singulieres to carry out the prestigious residency work on the territory curated by Christian Caujolle, from which the fifteenth and final publication published by Le bec en l'air stems.

2024
Prompted by curator Caroline Benichou and publisher David Fourré of Lamaindonne, they worked on a book exploring his approach to photography entitled Fièvre.