West Side Story is a long-term photographic project that investigates the environmental and health consequences of industrialization in western Sardinia, focusing on the National Priority Contaminated Sites of Silcis-Iglesiente-Guspinese and Porto Torres. Through portraits, landscapes, and field testimonies, the project portrays communities living amid contamination, abandoned plants, and slow or unfinished remediation efforts, showing how industrial legacy continues to shape territories, health, and future
These places, once a symbol of economic progress, now tell a story of degradation and broken promises.
The consequences of this contamination extend beyond the environment, deeply affecting public health. Studies have shown a higher incidence of cancer in the two geographic areas, particularly respiratory and gastrointestinal tumors, linked to prolonged exposure to industrial pollutants. Additionally, concerns have been raised about cognitive deficits in children, potentially associated with the exposure to heavy metals.
"Exposure to heavy metals is associated with multiple health effects, varying in severity and condition: kidney and bone problems, neurobehavioral and developmental disorders, high blood pressure, and potentially even lung cancer."
Istituto Superiore di Sanitá