Riders at the time of Coronavirus
Riders at the time of Coronavirus
(Italy, 2020)
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease was first identified in 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in central China, and has since spread globally, resulting in the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic. Common symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Muscle pain, sputum production, diarrhoea, and sore throat are less common. While the majority of cases result in mild symptoms, some progress to severe pneumonia and multi-organ failure. Mortality rate varies widely based on breadth of testing and availability of healthcare resources. […] (Wikipedia)
By signing a new ministerial decree on 11 March to tackle the Coronavirus-induced health emergency, the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte extended lockdown measures in a bid to control the spread of the virus. He ordered town cafes and restaurants – with the exception of those on motorways, airports, etc. – to close, while allowing riders to do food home deliveries. In some cases, the riders work for online food delivery platforms such as Just Eat, while in some others it is the restaurant and grocery store employees themselves who have adjusted to the situation to keep on working.
Trade unions claim that “it almost looks as if home delivery has become an essential public service just like healthcare, chemists or grocery stores. We are asked to provide this essential service without any kind of protection. We are invisible to our economy”.
For those who are forced to stay home, riders and home deliveries are one of the few ways they have to break their routine, keep in contact with the outside world and pretend, at least for the length of a meal, that everything has gone back to normal.
The idea for the project came into being on 14 March, when I jokingly told my partner that we should celebrate after several days of home isolation and I suggested that we ordered pizzas delivered to our door. While waiting, I thought about how those who were forced to move around town and meet people for working reasons might be feeling, without knowing whether those people were infected or even placed under quarantine. This gave rise to a photo project where I asked the riders I photographed on my doorstep to tell me about their thoughts.
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Filippo Venturi
Documentary Photographer
web www.filippoventuri.photography
email filippo.venturi@gmail.com
Lucian, 19. “Kinkhao” Thai restaurant, Forlì, 15/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Eleonora, 29. “Demetra” herbal medicine shop, Forlì, 20/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Simone, 32. “Q Corner” coffee bar, Forlì, 18/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Alessandro, 21. “FoodRacers” rider, Forlì, 18/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Stefania, 24. “Mammamia” ice-cream shop, Forlì, 18/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Francesco, 26. “La Lenticchia” organic farm, Forlì, 21/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Martina, 30. “Crem Caramel” ice-cream shop, Forlì, 15/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Antonio. Forlì, 15/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Andrea, 23. “MeloSushi” Japanese takeaway, Forlì, 16/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Stefano, 33. “Burghetto” restaurant, Forlì, 17/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Erica, 38. “La Tegia di Ogni” deli, Forlì, 17/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Loris, 65. “La Baita del Buongustaio” deli, Forlì, 18/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Alessia, 20. “La Sosta” restaurant, Forlì, 19/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Jacopo, 25. “College Sushi” Japanese takeaway, Forlì, 19/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Thomas, 29. “Pinocchio” pizza restaurant, Forlì, 19/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Luigi Giovanni, 29. “Da Nino” Piadina kiosk, Forlì, 19/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Federico, 28. “Barbeer” pub, Forlì, 19/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Christian, 40. “Bifor” pub, Forlì, 19/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Alessandro, 36. “Gigi De Fanti” ice-cream shop, Forlì, 19/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Jasin, 21. “College Sushi” Japanese takeaway, Forlì, 19/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Matteo, 33. “Amburgheria Creativa” take-away restaurant, Forlì, 20/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Claudio, 27. “Mengozzi” farm, Forlì, 21/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Luca, 28. “Le Vele” ice-cream shop, Forlì, 21/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Matteo, 20. “La Cremeria” ice-cream shop, Forlì, 22/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Joel, 19. “FoodStation” rider, Forlì, 22/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Giovanni, 22. “FoodStation” rider, Forlì, 22/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Beatrice, 20. “FoodStation” rider, Forlì, 22/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Alexander, 44. “Il Fienile” restaurant, Forlì, 22/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Gianluca, 47. Restaurant “Ruggine”, Forlì, 29/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Greta, 27. “Biancofarina” piadina kiosk, Forlì, 26/04/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Davide, 25. “FoodStation” rider, Cesena, 17/03/2020 (whom I met near my mother’s house). [A written interview is available]
Francesco, 32. “Burghetto” restaurant, Forlì, 01/04/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Elia, 40. “Burghetto” restaurant, Forlì, 01/04/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Agnese, 26. “QBio” restaurant, Forlì, 03/04/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Milena, 47. “Choco & Vanilla” ice-cream shop, Forlì, 13/04/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Daniel, 27 anni. “Freddino” ice-cream shop, Forlì, 04/04/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Christian, 26. “Le Conserve” ice-cream shop, Forlì, 05/04/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Federico, 23. “PizzaLab” pizza restaurant, Forlì, 14/03/2020.
[A written interview is available]
Filippo Venturi Photography | Blog 