“L’Ospite” is an editorial project investigating parasitism as a metaphor for involuntary cohabitation, deterioration, and loss of control. Through the visual and narrative language of the book, we explore the silent transformation of the host body, invaded by an invisible, consuming force.
Inspired by biological parasitism, the project shifts the lens to a symbolic and poetic reading of invasion and decay. The parasite, though microscopic, has devastating effects: the host body becomes both battlefield and narrator.
The book gradually visualizes the stages of degeneration — from the initial infiltration to full physical and mental collapse. The parasite's presence is not just biological, but also emotional and existential, echoing the words of Jean-Paul Sartre in La Nausée.
All visual and textual materials used in this project were gathered from the archives of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health) in Rome. The archival research provided scientific grounding and iconographic inspiration for the editorial narrative.