"A Tender Exile" is the result of a deeply personal journey—one shaped by displacement, nostalgia, and the search for belonging. Inspired by "How To Live Together", a book compiling Roland Barthes’ notes for his lecture of the same name, Federico Gargaglione explores four key concepts: Akedia, Xeniteia, Anachoresis, and Thlipsis. These ideas became a framework for understanding his own experiences, ultimately shaping the foundation of this book.

As part of this journey, he traveled to Mount Etna multiple times, drawn by its colossal presence—a symbol of both distance and return. Over time, those journeys became a way to finally get close to the volcano, to face its significance, and to reconcile with the past.

This project is not just a reflection, but a reconciliation. It is a way of holding onto the past without being weighed down by it, of finding beauty in both exile and return.