Photography at the farm: Workshop in Tuscany with Klavdij Sluban

Klavdij Sluban, an internationally renowned photographer and one of the most original and interesting figures in contemporary documentary and author photography, will be the first guest photographer in this series of workshops held at the Fattoria Poggio di Fiesole farmhouse, nestled in the Tuscan hills, in a landscape preserved over the centuries, 7 km from Florence. At the end of the workshop, a public presentation of the work completed, followed by a lecture/screening by Klaudij Sluban, will be organized at the Studio Marangoni Foundation, a key photographic institution in Florence.

 

 

A unique experience with Klavdij Sluban, a French photographer of Slovenian origin, author of several books and winner of prestigious awards, who exhibits and leads workshops around the world, notably at the Rencontres d’Arles, at Harvard University, at the Kyotographie Festival in Kyoto, at the Circulo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, at the Guangdong Art Museum, at the National Gallery in Jakarta…

Alongside him, Niccolò Hébel, co-founder of Club Mopasa in Mexico City, and Laura Serani, exhibition curator, festival director and author of numerous books, will participate and speak.

 

 

Workshop objectives

An immersive workshop with the objective of helping you initiate a new project or move to the next stage of an exisiting one by finding your visual writing, the way and rhythm of telling a story or a feeling.

Portfolio readings, image analyses, individual and group discussions, daily shooting and editing sessions, with constant attention and listening, also allow us to address questions that we ask ourselves along a photographic journey.

Five days where internship supervisors and participants live together, sharing work, meals, discoveries and relaxation, in the heart of the Tuscan hills, during the richest and most interesting period of farm life, the olive harvest, practiced here still according to traditional methods.

Timeless landscapes and unspoiled and inspiring nature, as well as work in the fields and the stages of oil production, will be the setting and/or the objects of the research carried out during this week of total immersion in a friendly atmosphere and nevertheless attentive and demanding support.

The workshop will take place (mainly) on the hills surrounding the farm. The diversity of landscapes, vegetation and architecture, the constantly changing light, the activities and life of the farm, offer the opportunity to photograph places off the beaten track. Moreover, Florence, only 7 km away, offers all the possibilities that are needless to mention.

On the last evening, a restitution of the work carried out during the workshop will be presented at the Marangoni Foundation in Florence allowing for discussion and dialogue with the public.

 

 

Encouraging the development of personal photographic writing, based on an in-depth exploration of a territory at the center of art history and a jewel of landscape heritage, will be the keys to this stay. Klavdij Sluban’s approach, his ability to transmit his knowledge and his personal investment will guide each participant to find their singularity as an author. Niccolò Hébel’s knowledge of the Italian photographic scene and the region’s terrain who lived in Florence, as well as his fluency in Italian, will allow participants to better understand the places and will facilitate exchanges; his expertise in independent publishing, audio-visual and scenography will help everyone to project themselves into the design and restitution of their work. Finally, the recognized and sought-after experience and perspective of Laura Serani, with her occasional interventions, from the reading of your portfolios to the final editing, contribute to the originality and richness of this workshop.

 

Languages spoken:

English, French, Italian, Slovenian, and Spanish

 

 

Program :

The week will be divided between daily photoshoots and editing sessions. Daily field trips and photoshoots will take place in the morning, with photo editing taking place in the afternoon. Editing focuses on constructive criticism, and advice is provided on how to create a personal photo series.

The variety of places and situations will allow each participant to find their own photographic language by transcribing reality according to their sensitivity.

The public presentation of the work produced, in the form of a screening during an evening at the Studio Marangoni Foundation in Florence, allows for exchange and confrontation with other realities and actors in the photographic scene.

 

20 October, Monday: Arrival from 15h

Welcome to the farm!

17h Farm Tour: The farm welcomes guests with an official tour of the estate, olive groves, and oil cellar to introduce them to the setting for the following week’s stay. A tasting and aperitif follow.

20h Dinner: A dinner is organized at the farm, an opportunity to get to know each other and see the details of the program.

21 – 24 October, Tuesday to Friday: While each day is unique, these workshop days will allow you to fully immerse yourself in your personal projects, either together or separately. Each day will include group time, individual time with Klavdij Sluban, and time alone to work on your projects.

Our exchanges will continue into the evening, when we gather around the table to enjoy the day’s activities and enjoy a well-selected local drink, while Niccolo, a chef in a previous life, prepares dinner nearby using local ingredients.

• 8h30 Breakfast
• 9h30 Courses or photo shoots
• 13h Lunch
• 14h Editing / exchanges
• 17h Free time
• 19h Dinner
• 20h30 Projections (films, various photographic works, etc.)

 

25 October, Saturday: All day, final editing in preparation for the evening screening. Public restitution of the work carried out during the workshop during a public screening and a meeting with Klavdij in Florence.

• 8h30 Breakfast
• 9h30h Final editing preparation for evening screening
• 13h Lunch
• 14h Final editing preparation for evening screening.
• 20h Dinner in town.
• 21h30 Final public screening at the Studio Marangoni Foundation in Florence.

26 October, Sunday: Depart

• 8h30 Breakfast
• 11h Check out

**Possibility to extend your stay with a supplement.

 

 

Where:

The workshop will take place on the grounds of Fattoria Poggio di Fiesole. Rich in history, from its Renaissance founding as a convent to hosting legendary yoga retreats in the 1960s and 1970s, the farm has always been a haven where visitors can find peace and connect with nature, while enjoying the modern comforts of luxury apartments. In addition to offering a peaceful haven close to beautiful Tuscan towns, the farm was one of the pioneers of organic farming in Italy and today produces award-winning organic extra virgin olive oil.

 

 

Who:

Klavdij Sluban

Klavdij Sluban is a French photographer of Slovenian origin, born in Paris in 1963. “Artist of the Year” South Korea in 2017, winner of the European Publishers Award for

Photography 2009, the Leica Award (2004) and the Prix Niépce (2000), the most prestigious award in French photography. He has been exhibiting and leading photography workshops in France and around the world for 30 years. Sluban has developed a rigorous and coherent body of work, nourished by literature, never inspired by immediate and sensational news, which makes him one of the most interesting photographers of his generation. The Balkans, the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Caribbean, Central America, Russia, China and Antarctica (first artistic mission to the Kerguelen Islands) can be read as successive stages of an in-depth study of a patient proximity to the reality encountered.

His images have been exhibited in leading institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Photography in Tokyo, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, the Rencontres d’Arles, the Helsinki Museum of Photography, the Guangzhou Museum of Fine Arts, the Beaubourg Museum, the Museum of Texas Tech University, the Museum of Photography in South Korea, among others. In 2013, the Niépce Museum presented a retrospective of Klavdij Sluban’s work, After Darkness, 1995–2012.

Among his numerous works are East to East (published simultaneously by Actes Sud, Dewi Lewis, Peliti, Braus, Apeiron & Lunwerg with a text by Erri De Luca), Entre Parenthèses (Photo Poche, Actes Sud), Transverses (Maison Européenne de la Photographie) and Balkans-Transit, with a text by François Maspero (Seuil).

Since 1995, Sluban has been photographing adolescents in prison and organizing workshops. Initially initiated in France, at the Fleury-Mérogis prison with the support of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Marc Riboud, and William Klein, this commitment continued in disciplinary camps in Eastern Europe—Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Latvia—and in disciplinary centers in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, as well as in Ireland. Since 2007, he has worked in Central America with imprisoned youth belonging to maras (gangs) in Guatemala and El Salvador, as well as in São Paulo, Brazil.

 

Along with Klavdij Sluban, Niccolò Hébel and Laura Serani will participate in the workshop daily.

Niccolò Hébel

Co-director of Club Mopasa, a cultural and social center organizing artist residencies, workshops, and exhibitions in Mexico City.

From 2020 to 2024, he collaborated with the Planches Contact Festival in Deauville. He also participates in the artistic and creative direction of various cultural events between France and Italy, as well as in the production of exhibitions and multimedia projects, notably for FIAF New York, Milano Photo Week, Milano Digital Week, BASE Milano, the Hamburg Triennial of Photography, the Circulation(s) Festival, the Romanian Cultural Institute in Paris, Agence Rumeur, the PX3 Prize, etc.

In 2017, Niccolò launched the How Far Now project, in which he invites groups of young migrants to document their daily lives through self-produced images. These workshops, which result in zines and exhibitions, serve as a pretext to foster interactions between established local communities and newcomers. This project also led him to work with young people in situations of social and/or psychological vulnerability during workshops with Minotauro in Milan.

In 2016 he founded the fanzine label Zine Tonic (2016-2021) and the traveling bookstore FotoGang (2017-2020), which later opened in Milan.

Born in Paris, he lives between France and Mexico.

 

Laura Serani

Artistic director and independent curator, Laura Serani has produced numerous exhibitions, most recently Utopia by Georges Rousse at the Abbaye de la Celle, on the program of the Grand Arles Express 2025, and Le Siècle des Vacances, de la villeggiature au tourisme de masse, a collective exhibition from the Fnac Collection, at the Franciscaines in Deauville. Director of the Deauville Festival, Planches Contact, from 2019 to 2024, she was previously co-artistic director of the Rencontres de Bamako in Mali, artistic delegate of the Mois de la Photo in Paris and, in Italy, curator for Fotografia Europea in Reggio Emilia and director of SiFest. In 2016, she launched Omnibus Circus, an open, nomadic and ephemeral gallery and stage. From 1985 to 2006, L.S. built the Fnac Collection and directed the Fnac Galleries in Europe, Brazil and Taiwan. Author of numerous works, L.S. has taught at the ENS Louis Lumière, participates in Oeildeep masterclasses, is a member of the board of directors of Lux, of various juries and nominator for various awards. (Oskar Barnack, Leica Award, Pictet, Prix Niepce, Hasselblad, etc.)

Born in Pisa, Italy, she lives in Paris.

The price of the workshop:

The price includes:

• All the services planned by the workshop, including the organization of the final public screening in Florence.
• A guided tour of the farm and olive groves and a tasting of organic olive oil and honey.
• Accommodation in a private or shared room on the farm. Each room is part of a full apartment with a living room, kitchen, and private outdoor space.
• All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
• All transportation during the stay except for arrival to the farm on Monday and departure on Sunday.
• Tourist taxes.

Total price:

€3,500 for a room with two single beds, shared with another participant, and a bathroom shared with your roommate.

€4,500 for a single room with a private bathroom.

The number of participants is limited to 10 people, a minimum of 4 participants is required for the workshop to take place.

EARLY BIRD: A 5% discount will be offered to participants who register before 10 August 2025.

Rooms:

The farmhouse has four apartments, each with a kitchen, living room, and private bathroom. There are two two-bedroom apartments, one one-bedroom apartment, and one studio apartment. If you have any specific questions about the rooms or the farmhouse, please contact the farmhouse directly at info@poggiodifiesole.com or +39 371 451 3938 (available on WhatsApp).

 

 

Who can participate:

Anyone passionate about still images: professional photographers, artists, photography and art students, photography and art enthusiasts, etc. Everyone has the ability to build their own visual language when passion for images and good advice coexist.

 

Material required:

• Between 15 and 20 small PRINTED photos (up to A4 format). Each participant will show their photographic prints at our first meeting on Tuesday morning. They will be analyzed, discussed, and will serve as a starting point to better guide future images.
• Your digital camera, a single lens and its accessories (extra batteries, memory cards, image transfer cable to a computer, USB key, external hard drive, etc.).
• A notebook or recorder to facilitate note-taking during the workshop as many references on photographers, books, major exhibitions, locations, etc. will be given at all times.
• Personal computer.

 

How to register, get more information:

To reserve your place, or for any questions, please email the workshop organizer Niccolò Hébel at workshopatthefarm@gmail.com. Please include the information below in your booking email.

A 30% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your reservation, with the remaining balance due by September 20. Payments can be made by bank transfer or credit card.

Please specify:

• Full name.
• Provenance.
• Desired language.
• Room preference (private or shared).
• A brief summary of the project you would like to work on (you can change projects before the start of the workshop).
• Level of experience in photography.
• Other information about you, as a photographer or person, that you would like to share.

Thank you very much and see you soon…