Sailors is the latest chapter in Corinna Del Bianco’s ongoing exploration of island territories: a photographic reportage that captures and conveys both the past and present stories of several islands in the Oslofjord. Her gaze shifts between land and sea, tracing their seamless continuity, a hallmark of these landscapes, while observing the communities who inhabit these liminal spaces—transforming, interpreting, caring for and claiming them as their own. To look at the Oslofjord is, indeed, to witness a people in constant dialogue with the sea: a defining condition of Norway’s geography, shaped by its long fjords and its extraordinary archipelago of more than 239,000 islands.
The research approach underpinning this project is rooted in the valorisation of the lived experience of the local community. With her characteristic attention to the delicate relationship between humanity and nature, Corinna Del Bianco explores the theme of urban development and its manifestations across a timeframe stretching from the late nineteenth century to the present day. The islands featured in the project are: Hovedøya, Lindøya, Bleikøya, Langøyene, Nakholmen, Gressholmen, Ormøya, Malmøya, Brønnøya, Oscarsborg and Jeløya.
The project was developed during an artist residency supported by the Italian Cultural Institute of Oslo and carried out between April and July 2025. Sailors continues Del Bianco’s broader artistic journey, which began with the exhibition Salsedine – Sjøluft, a selection of photographs from Italy’s main archipelagos, part of her larger Archipelago project. Initiated in 2018, this extensive body of work seeks to document and convey the cultural diversity of Mediterranean islands, preserving their deepest identities.
The opening of the exhibition, hosted both inside and in the outdoor spaces of the Italian Cultural Institute of Oslo, featured the participation of Norwegian photographer Terje Abusdal, author of a project on the island of Langøyene. The event took place on 21 August 2025 in the presence of the Italian Ambassador Stefano Nicoletti and an engaged audience, including a group of around 20 Italian language students from the University of Oslo.
Photo credits: Corinna Del Bianco
