Simone Mocenni

Simone is a photographer, sculptor and poet who was born in Milan. However, due to his strong connection with Istria, he will say that belonging to Istria is woven into his DNA.

… as if slowly, from a young age, all this entered our DNA… the belonging to this land.

As the son of the famous artist Gualtiero Walter Mocenni, born in Pula in 1935, from his early childhood Simone spent summers in his father’s hometown. Over time, the stays became longer, and swimming and playing were replaced by artistic work in stone. He shared his passion for sculpture and love for Pula with his father.

After the horrors of war and with the desire to develop an international artistic career, in 1956 Gualtiero decided to leave Istria.

My father was terrorised by the war, he was convinced that he would die, that he would not manage to survive. Many things happened in those years… I remember a very sad one: my aunt was pregnant with my cousin in Šijana when the moment of birth came. My uncle went to look for a midwife during the curfew, in the middle of the night. The fascists stopped him, he explained everything to them, but they didn’t believe him. They thought he was a Partisan courier. They first tried to hang him and then they shot him.

In order to be able to travel with his beloved – Alisa, the young couple decided to get married. However, Alice’s documents were not approved, so their “new beginning” was delayed for a few months until she caught up with him in Rome. The reunion was very touching because, due to a combination of circumstances, Gualtiero was expecting his father at the train station in Rome, however, his wife appeared.

At first, they lived a difficult life in a refugee camp in Aversa near Naples. With persistence, desire and work, Gualtiero’s dream of an artistic career in Milan finally came true in the 1960s. His sons Riccardo, Alessandro and Simone were born here and life finally had meaning. From then on, Gualtiero’s, and later Simone’s, life would almost constantly revolve between Milan and Pula.

I am very glad, happy and proud to be back and stay here more often and I hope to continue to be here.