Alpine Hiatus, the snow no longer tastes like snow 2025
At altitudes between 2,000 m and 4,478 m, the once pristine Alpine landscape, dominated by towering rock formations and eternal glaciers, is now marred by ski infrastructure. These facilities, in use for only a few months each year, disfigure an environment already weakened by climate change. Chronic droughts have made artificial reservoirs essential for maintaining snow cover, while a dense network of snow cannons, pipes, ski lift pylons, snow grooming machine hangars, and cable car terminals add to the destruction. Politics continues to subsidize this unsustainable model. In 2024, 176 ski facilities were abandoned in the Italian Alps, creating an “archaeology” of obsolete structures. During summer, the mountains, once cloaked in white, now appear scorched by the sun. This profound transformation, captured in a series of photographs combined with family images from the 1930s, highlights the absurdity of human impact on nature, urging reflection on the need for a paradigm shift.
Note: The text above was written by the Artist. No modification was made by COCA.
Filippo Poli
Italy
Filippo Poli is a photographer, graduated with honors in Architecture from Polytechnic University of Milan, with a Master’s in Architecture and Urbanism from UPC of Barcelona and a Master’s scholarship from PhotoESPAÑA. Since 2008 he collaborates with prestigious international architecture firms. His work has been published in specialized magazines and books across Europe, the U.S.A, and Asia. Throughout his career, he has received significant recognition, including the Architecture Photography Master Prize 2021 in the interiors category, first prize in Photography from the Enaire Foundation in 2017, mentions in the IPA Prize 2017 and Monochrome Awards 2015, as well as third prize in PX3 Paris 2014 and first prize in ArchTriumph 2012.
His work has been exhibited in venues such as PhotoEspaña (2017, 2025), the Venice Biennale, the Climate Summit (COP25), and ARCO Fair, Deutsches Architekturmuseum, and Vila Casas Foundation. His photographs are part of public and private collections.