Attimi – Immagini nel tempo is a dive into the past. It’s about observing black and white photos and mentally traveling back in time...perhaps hoping to be able to actually do it.

I had the fortune to visit it when it was set up in the Sala delle Acque del BIM in Sondrio, on Lungo Mallero (which is already worth a visit by itself). 

But now, if you missed it, you have another chance: from June 20 to July 18 the exhibition moves to Spazio Garibaldi, in the square of the same name in Sondrio.

The reason for putting together this collective exhibition is wonderful: the centenary of the birth of Eugenio Redaelli. 

A name that I admit I didn't know, but that I will now remember thanks to the guided tour by Paolo.

Eugenio was a pioneer of sports photography in Valtellina, active as early as the 1970s. He shot, developed, and printed. He documented important events, like the 1980 Trial World Championship or the summer Ski World Cup (yes, that existed too!).

Not only that: he was a filmmaker for RAI and among the founders of the Basketball Club Sondrio in the 1960s. A person who had sports in his blood. And photography too.

But the exhibition is not just about him. There are also snapshots from many other Valtellinese photographers – friends, colleagues, moral heirs:  Sergio Benini, Giorgio De Giorgi, Franz Garlaschelli, Luca Gianatti, Stefano Grazioli, Dario Martinelli, Angelo Sgualdino, and Massimo Tognolini.

All with the same intent: to crystallize moments that would otherwise have vanished.

And it's not just the photos. There are also vintage items that tell the story of photography: from plates to film, up to digital. Like a Kodak that may have reached Everest in '24 (not exactly the latest gadget), or a camera used by the KGB (not for taking weddings, I believe).

And then there's the personal curiosity when you find a photo taken in Ponte in Valtellina and you stop to search for faces, to see if you recognize anyone. Even though it was a photo from the '70s, I tried to identify someone, and...I succeeded.

Paolo Redaelli, Eugenio's son, is the curator of the exhibition. He was the one who shared anecdotes, curiosities, guiding me like only someone who has lived certain stories can. With true passion, the kind that makes your eyes shine and moves you while you speak.

The exhibition is a tribute to the father, of course, but also a collective celebration of the visual memory of Valtellina. And you realize, walking among those walls, that within those snapshots there is also a bit of our history.

I really recommend you go. 

If you are passionate about photography or even just curious to see "how it once was," I guarantee that you will come out enriched. 

And perhaps with a slightly nostalgic smile.

📍Spazio Garibaldi, Piazza Garibaldi – Sondrio
🗓️ From June 20 to July 18
🕙 From Tuesday to Saturday, 10-12:30  and 15-18:30