Michele Borzoni » Rocco Rorandelli » Silent Spring Open Call 2025

Silent Spring, by Michele Borzoni and Rocco Rorandelli, investigates environmental activism across Italy, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Austria. The project documents the escalating conflict between activists and Western governments, driven by neo-liberal agendas that treat the environment as a mere commodity for exploitation. Meanwhile, younger generations, particularly those just entering adulthood, are rising up, finding in the fight to defend the planet a new and urgent ground for expression, a way to channel their frustrations with a system that has betrayed them.
The project highlights the resurgence of radical collective action. Abandoned by the political class and betrayed by corporate greed, these young activists reclaim the streets and public spaces through direct, disruptive action. No longer asking for change, the activists are demanding a complete overhaul of a system that sacrifices the planet for profit. This project sheds light on the growing conflict between a system desperately clinging to power and the rising tide of youth resistance that refuses to accept its devastating grip on the planet. For these young activists, defending the environment has become a powerful means of reclaiming both their future and their voice.