Alessandra LetaAbout
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Alessandra Leta (b.1997) is an Italian photographer and a visual researcher. Through the reworking of archival images, photographic staging, and elements of fiction, her artistic practice intersects digital archaeology and speculative storytelling as tools for rethinking the past into the present. 

She’s currently based in Basel (CH).

Full CV on request.

Open to collaborations and commissions for brands, magazines, and institutions in the whole Europe. 

To inquire about rates and availability, please send a message through this Contact form.
Docile Flesh: 
Eye, Mouth, and Sugar
  • 2024-ongoing


The photographic series Docile Flesh, still in its very first premises, explores a true story of an unusual crime committed by a man obsessed with birds since childhood. His fascination led him to steal feathers from Natural History Museums across three countries over ten years, accumulating 17,250 feathers from 167 species. Disguising himself as a knowledgeable ornithologist, he befriended museum staff to gain access to archives, where he plucked feathers for his private collection. His theft went unnoticed for years, resulting in significant scientific and financial losses.

The project delves into the implications of this crime, examining our (european) historical and cultural relationship with nature and animals. Taxidermy, the art of preserving animals for display, serves as a critical lens for this investigation, highlighting the human obsessions with capturing and studying nature. The series employs photojournalism, forensic photography, and reenactment to explore themes of representation, truth, and the entanglements of science and imperialism. It also critiques the role of Natural History Museums as institutions preserving knowledge and cultural values.