Umberto Diecinove – Project I N S C T S

Who is Umberto Diecinove? 

I’m a documentary photographer and filmmaker. I was born in Italy in 1978, I graduated in Literature and Philosophy with a focus on contemporary poetry, and then I obtained the PHotoESPAÑA master’s in photography. I have lived in various European countries, so I consider myself foremost a European citizen and author. 

Can you describe the I N S C T S project? 

I N S C T S is an ongoing multimedia global project that documents the solutions insect farming offers to environmental and social challenges. The photographs have been taken in research centers, farms, communities and companies all over the world. During the shoots I also recorded audio conversations. Some of them are published as a podcast with the title “Get The Bug”. And it started like that: in 2017, an assignment led me to discover insect farming. I began researching the topic and in 2019 I was taking the first I N S C T S photographs, but I had to put the entire project on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, I decided to transform my personal research into a podcast to have a more immediate impact, strengthening the edible insect community, and encourage action and change. 

So far, which countries have you visited for this project? Which one was the most impactful one?

In Europe, I've been to the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Germany. Beyond Europe: Colombia, Thailand, Malaysia, and in the U.S., California and Texas. I N S C T S focuses on both the people working towards change and those who would benefit from it. So, it’s made up of encounters and it’s a very transformative experience. And sincerely: this is not something I was expecting. But if you ask me “a country” – so if I have to choose an impactful experience I had – no doubt my answer is Colombia. I spent weeks on the edge of the Amazon rainforest with insect farmers that were part of the FARC-EP (“Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army) and I had the opportunity to join the Aurachos indigenous community of the Sierra Nevada in their ancestral, sacred territory, where they are in the process of introducing the black soldier fly farming. 

What do insects offer regarding social challenges?

You can call insect farming a re-distributive agricultural practice. And this is because it’s in the Tropics that ideal conditions occur, so it’s in many rural areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America that insects provide an affordable way to alleviate poverty. Farming insects could make smallholder farmers less dependent on expensive – and environmentally costly – imported feed and fertilizers.

The black soldier fly in particular provides high-quality nutrients with a low environmental impact, and it can be locally reared on a wide range of organic residual streams: from plant residues to food waste. “Insectos Por La Paz” / “Insects For Peace” – the project created in Colombia by Karol Barragàn Fonseca, professor at the Universidad Nacional De Colombia – is an inspirational example of what insect farming can do in the Global South. Her project promotes the reintegration of former members of the guerrilla and supports the livelihoods of indigenous people training them to become smallholder insect producers. Projects like “Insectos Por La Paz” also exist throughout rural areas of Africa and Asia, and I plan to document some of them, too. 

Do you know other artists working on the same topic? What is the reaction of artists to the growing insect industry?

I am not aware of any other artistic project focused on insect farming. But I can tell you the reception in the artistic / photography space has been very positive. Even though I N S C T S is an ongoing project, I have already had the opportunity to display it in several exhibitions: in California, the Netherlands, Ireland, Hungary, France and Spain.

Recently, I developed a portable installation that can be adapted to any space. I used it at the Insects to Feed the World event in Singapore and at an event organized by Wageningen University. I mention this because I want this work to extend beyond the photography circuit and reach a wider audience through conferences and outreach events. Perhaps some of your readers may find it an interesting opportunity.

Have you worked on another scientific project before? How do you find collaborating with scientists and participating in scientific conferences? 

This is my first experience in such a structured setting, and I would describe it as being made of continuous dialogue and resonances. An artist is a researcher with the privilege of choosing topics and methods of investigation, or at least this is my definition. Artists have to embrace complexity and its profound beauty, scientists do this on a daily basis. 

What is the future of the I N S C T S project?

I N S C T S is an independent, self-funded project, with all the associated implications. So, what I will be able to achieve—and when I can do it—depends on grants, awards or partnerships I can secure. And any suggestions are, of course, welcome. To complete the first I N S C T S phase, I want for example to document insect farming in Africa and in more Asian countries. And I’m also expanding the focus to “frass”, so biofertilizers. Ideally, I N S C T S will evolve into a photobook and a documentary film.

More information on I N S C T S can be found here.

https://www.studiodiecinove.com/

https://www.futures-photography.com/projects/inscts