Fragments of justice

“Fragments of justice” consists of a series of 27 photographs representing the courtrooms of 19 italian courthouses.

The deserted courtrooms do not seem to forget the speeches and debates: a lawyer’s robe thrown over a chair, a folder waiting to be rescued, marginal elements that may in some way bring to mind an idea of what happened during the trials. These are fragments of feelings, perceptible only if we take the time to observe, as external viewers, these spaces.

Snapshots of particularly relevant court cases can be reminded, cases that captured our imagination over the years. We can find the opportunity to think about the importance and sensitivity of the events that take place here. These spaces are transformed every day into a stage on which a routine of tragedies and controversies is held.

The judges’ benches, the ominous looking cages, those crucifixes whose presence today is perhaps difficult to understand, these are some of the features within these environments, as well as the inscription: “La legge è uguale per tutti” (“The law is equal for all”), a kind of mantra, which
certainly fulfills a deep need of our consciousness but that should not obscure the reality of things: “tot capita tot sententiae”, each sentence depends on the personal attitude and history of each judge. The human element, uncertain and unpredictable. In contrast to these courtrooms, so rigid and symmetrical that seems to have the duty to appear ruthless.

Through his photography Luca Sironi (Milan, 1973) tries to show that images can hide a lot, maybe memories, maybe a different point of view on something people usually find insignificant or not photographically relevant. He also works as a filmmaker, and teaches Theory and Technique of Film Language and History of Cinema.