‘The Adventures of Guille and Belinda’: The gentler gaze of Alessandra Sanguinetti

Sanguinetti’s photography gifts us a window into a tender friendship, and most importantly, an opportunity for a more benevolent eye. 

I first stumbled upon the American-Argentinian’s photographs during a trip around a Pinterest loophole. Two weeks later, I stumbled upon it again during a trip to Argentina, at la Fundación Proa. Life works in funny ways sometimes. 

The exhibition at Proas showcased her series On The Sixth Day, where she denounced animal-torturing by photographing the animals on her aunt’s farm. While this one was less to my taste, I have to say I am thankful for it because playing and running around a working Sanguinetti were her two little cousins, who would later end up starring in the beloved series: The Adventures of Guille and Belinda and The Enigmatic Meaning of Their Dreams and The Adventures of Guille and Belinda and the Illusion of an Everlasting Summer. The former chronicles the girls' journey from pre-teens to adolescence over five years, capturing the dreamlike quality of innocence, while the latter accompanied them as they transitioned from youth to maturity. Although the sisters' similarity gained international recognition, they had not yet ventured outside of Buenos Aires. Up until recently, for the Sanguinetti exhibition's Paris opening at the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson. 

The Adventures of Guille and Belinda is a moving meditation on time and space as viewed through the lives of two women. It consists of 52 photos and three films.

Sanguinetti's skill at capturing the essence of childhood, adolescence, and adult confusion in these images is what drew my attention to them. With a sympathetic eye, she invites viewers to simply enjoy these two girls and shield them from life's uncertainties. She serves as a reminder that although life can be monotonous, absurd, or humorous at times, it is always lovely. It appears to be a warning to cling to the here and now because, although it may not seem magical at the time, it will seem so when seen in retrospect. A moment can be perfect without porcelain faces, gilded palaces, or statuesque bodies, nor does it require the ideal lighting or environment. All it needs to provide comfort and laughter is the company of a friend. A companion to carry their imagination across the vast expanses of the Argentine plains.

"I tried to interpret the end of their childhood by entering their imaginary space. The time when their dreams and fears merged with their daily life was fading away. The photographs I took attempt to crystallize the swift and personal disappearance of their space of freedom." She tells VICE in an interview.

Indeed, as Sanguinetti explores the ‘imaginary space’ of her cousins, her photography also serves as a testament to its timeless quality, as the beauty of their intimate moments is not lost with age, but rather, invigorated.