Simon Roberts

Inizio Commissioned work for Aboca

Aboca, the Italian company based in San Sepolcro, a few dozen miles from Cortona, creates innovative products based on 100% natural vegetable molecular complexes used in the treatment of the most common diseases. The study and promotion of themes relating to nature, health, science, history, philosophy, biology, ecology and art are intrinsic to the story of Aboca which now turns its eye to fine art photography in a new cultural initiative in partnership with Cortona On The Move.

The photographic project, which deals with the conservation of biodiversity at the Granducale di Montecchio Estate, was initiated in 2017 and is curated by Arianna Rinaldo. In Rinascita, the first volume, German photographer Jessica Backhaus documented the work of Aboca by photographing the details and initial trials undertaken during the creation of an arboretum and other environmental reclamation tasks.

The second assignment, which is a natural progression of the first, has been given to British photographer Simon Roberts. The idea is to broaden the scope of vision by photographing the overall project and its agricultural and architectural development. This volume will give shape and appearance to the ecosystem of the Montecchio Estate. An ecosystem involving man, whose efforts in complete harmony with nature facilitate the evolution of the restoration and enhancement project.

Simon Roberts

Simon Roberts (1974, London, UK) is a British photographer based in Brighton, whose work deals with our relationship to landscape and notions of identity and belonging.
He has published four critically acclaimed monographs, “Motherland” (Chris Boot, 2007), “We English” (Chris Boot, 2009) – voted as one of the best photography books of the past decade – “Pierdom” (Dewi Lewis Publishing, 2013) and most recently “Merrie Albion” (Dewi Lewis Publishing, 2017).