Take A Look! - Ep.8
Raìse Lab is a photographic studio where digital and analog practices meet, alongside experimental and alternative printing processes. Born from the desire to bring a darkroom back to the city, it seeks to redefine Venice’s photographic culture. The space carries a deep personal and historical significance: in the same location, my grandfather opened his photographic studio in 1950, which over the years became a point of reference for photography and optics in the Castello district. With the advent of digital technology, the business gradually shifted its focus toward optics. However, in June 2025, I returned to the roots of the family activity—hence the name Raìse, which in dialect means “root”—reimagining it through a contemporary lens that embraces analog experimentation and alternative printing techniques. In a Venice increasingly shaped by mass tourism and consumerism, where experiences are often reduced to quick and superficial images, the studio stands as a counterpoint. Its goal is to become a reference point for those passionate about both analog and digital photography in a city that has long inspired artists and photographers. By offering an experience that goes beyond the simple act of image-making, the studio becomes a space where photography and craftsmanship intersect, leaving room for experimentation and creative exploration.
Raìse Lab offers a wide range of activities and services, including: shootings, workshops, access to a fully equipped darkroom, film sales, and a complete lab for developing, scanning, and printing. Alongside these, the studio explores experimental practices such as filmsoup, as well as alternative printing techniques including silver gelatin prints, cyanotypes, polaroid lifts, and gum bichromate processes, often combining them into hybrid forms. Through this variety of services and approaches, Raìse Lab encourages a hands-on, process-oriented experience of photography, where experimentation becomes a central part of the creative journey. The studio is not only a place to produce images, but a space to slow down, learn, and engage with photography in a more conscious and tactile way, bridging tradition and contemporary practice.
