A Still Life for the Modern Age

At the heart of Federico Pestilli’s latest series, Flowers, is a stark and urgent message: “Everything is not going to be okay if we keep this up.” Through his hauntingly beautiful compositions, the Italian photographer examines the fragility of nature, the pervasive impact of human intervention, and the inevitable consequences of our disconnect from the natural world.

A Metaphor for Civilization’s Disconnect

Each photograph in Flowers presents a delicate bloom wrapped in plastic, suspended in a synthetic cocoon that simultaneously preserves and suffocates. This tension—between beauty and destruction, preservation and decay—serves as a powerful metaphor for how modern civilization has distanced itself from its primordial roots.

"While seemingly protecting flowers, the synthetic ‘shroud’ eventually destroys their organic beauty. Only light, it seems, has a chance to play on both sides of the translucent barrier."
— Federico Pestilli

Much like traditional still life paintings, Pestilli’s images evoke the historical concept of “nature morte”—French for “dead nature.” However, rather than the fleeting mortality of cut flowers in a vase, these photographs speak to a new kind of death—one caused not by time, but by human interference and environmental neglect.

Plastic: Humanity’s Greatest Tool or Ultimate Downfall?

Pestilli’s work does not simply mourn the impact of plastic—it questions our dependence on it. He draws parallels between plastics and other transformative materials throughout history—bronze, iron, and steel—each of which advanced civilization while simultaneously disconnecting us from nature.

"Plastic’s primary function is separation. Its property to isolate, contain, protect—inner from outer matter—provides solutions to many human needs. Yet, its durability and resistance to degradation represent an existential threat to living organisms."
— Federico Pestilli

A Dreamlike Aesthetic with a Deeply Unsettling Message

Visually, Pestilli’s compositions are breathtaking—soft, painterly light filters through layers of plastic, illuminating delicate petals suffocating beneath the synthetic surface. These works recall the techniques of classical painting, yet they depict a thoroughly modern crisis.

Each photograph in the series carries a sense of tension and unease:

Orchids Vacuum Packed – An exquisite orchid is tightly sealed, its fragility amplified by the suffocating plastic.
Tulips in Condom – A provocative reflection on how nature is repackaged and commodified.
Poppy in Blue Garbage Bag – A wildflower, once free, now trapped within an artificial landscape.

Pestilli’s unique fusion of photography and painting heightens the emotional weight of these images, transforming them from still lives into urgent warnings.

Federico Pestilli: A Global Perspective on Art and Identity

Raised in Rome and educated at the Sorbonne in Paris, Pestilli holds a Master’s degree in history, which informs his deeply analytical approach to visual storytelling. His experiences in New York and London, working across fashion and the visual arts, have contributed to his distinct aesthetic sensibility—a fusion of European classicism and contemporary critique.

His work seeks to bridge the personal and the political, highlighting the impact of human choices on both individual identity and the broader environment.

A Call to Reflection

With Flowers, Pestilli challenges us to confront our paradoxical relationship with nature. Are we preserving beauty or destroying it? Are we truly protecting our world, or simply sealing its fate beneath a plastic veil?

This is not just a photographic series—it is a meditation on our own survival.