Time to set off on a new journey. Destination? The world.
The world seen through the lens of a camera. But that is not all, this journey is not so trivial. Because behind the lens there are eyes that choose what to frame; and in this case the eyes are those of Gabriele Rubini, known to most as Chef Rubiowho, you know, has a look and a vision that is never banal and ordinary, and never superficial. He literally eats the world (forks aside this time) with his soul, the soul of one who wants to incorporate sensations, teachings, cultures, all the good and bad of life. With these sensations he touches the hearts and minds of those who watch, listen or... read him.
'I ate the world' is the title of this book. "A personal journey in pictures and written notes, a narrative without filters, as it is in my life". Yes, because in this volume he guides us to discover stories, places, cultures; he makes us "taste"street food. He does this with those photos taken and then developed in a darkroom, from the door of which images come out that have colour not only on the outside, because they are the colours of emotion, of flavour, of the heart and of the lands he has visited.
Chef Rubio, you have also chosen to emote through images. What brought you to the world of photography? And why film?
"It is one of the many ways to tell others about yourself in relation to the outside world you want to tell. I grew up with photographs at home: from my parents' photographs to National Geographic books. Photography has always been a source of emotion. Film is eternal, digital is not. It is the history and essence of an art in which imperfections restore the uniqueness of the moment and extend it to infinity. Digital allows images to be assimilated in a bulimic manner without, however, being able to make them special and above all unique'.
What is it that a shot shows that the naked eye does not perceive?
"A section of the world that at that moment caught your eye. Eyes, belly, heart and brain are bound in a single vice that bears the name of photography'.
Colour photos... The world is not always in colour though... or is it?
"Photographs for me are in black and white, but there are times when bringing back colour is a must, it is indispensable".
What is travelling for you? When so often you find yourself under 'a different sun' what do you bring home?
"It is the only way one can truly know who we are and who we are becoming. It brings home each time a piece of the puzzle that we are and that we will only complete without our knowledge".
Jean Brunhes used to say that 'To eat is to incorporate a territory'. Do you agree? What does the food tell us about each place?
'It is the truth. Eating means always learning something new, but only if you are curious and hungry for culture will you be able to interleave the list of information that a bite can give you'.
From cooking to social commitment. What is cooking for you today?
"Relaxation, humanity and intimacy. Cooking now for me is just that. Everything that is spectacularisation of food disgusts me, I want to keep it as far away as possible. I let others commodify what for me has always been, and always will be, just an act of love'.
What does it mean (quoting Oscar Wilde) to 'take food seriously'?
'Touch it, sublimate it, love it, swallow it and thus honour it'.
Cover photo: Tamara Casula
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