FUTURES: The Elevator Chats 3.0 – Olivér Lantos & Alessio Pellicoro

From October 16–19, 2025, Art Market Budapest showcased an exhibition featuring the works of the 2025 FUTURES talents. Before the exhibition, Capa Center initiated five online dialogs in between ten FUTURES talents, creating five brief one-to-one conversations, that is, elevator chats.¹ In our upcoming posts, we present the five elevator chats, which are provide a quick insight into the current issues explored, the artistic practices pursued, and the diverse techniques applied by these talented emerging photographers. In this post you can read the conversation between Olivér Lantos (HU) and Alessio Pellicoro (IT).

Olivér Lantos (b. 1992) is a Hungarian photographer currently living and working in Budapest. His works are mostly long term project, whose starting point are personal experience or a visceral reaction. He is interested in the systematization of his observations and researches, and the process of building these systems. In his projects, he usually explores the effect of contemporary politics, the LGBTQ community, and the casual relationships between the problems of global social systems and their consequences, as well as their effects on human psyche and nature.

Alessio Pellicoro born in Taranto (Italy) in 1994 and his approach to photography came unexpectedly in 2016 with the discovery of some disused cameras belonging to his father. This prompted him the following year to deepen his knowledge by beginning a three-year degree program in Photography and Visual Arts at IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) Rome, graduating with honors in 2019. In 2023 he completed his studies by earning a master’s degree at lSIA (Istituti Superiori per le Industrie Artistiche) in Urbino in Photography for publishing and cultural heritage.

The conversation between Olivér and Alessio:

Olivér: Hi Alessio, First of all, thank you very much for agreeing to participate in the group exhibition. It means a lot to me. We didn’t have time to talk properly in Prague because we were in such a hurry, and later, the rain and smoky barbecue didn’t help us either.
How are you? How does it feel to be back home? Have you recovered from your trip to Prague?

Alessio: Hi Olivér, how are you? hope you are well! Thank you for proposing me for this wonderful opportunity, I respect you so much as an artist and you are a source of great inspiration to me. I think it is a great opportunity this to compare our works finding new meanings in them.
They were really hectic days, but I have to say that I miss so much that atmosphere among all of us. It felt like we were in a real artist community, something that here in south Italy I haven’t.

Olivér: Considering the circumstances, I’m fine. Unfortunately, the weather in Prague and Budapest took its toll on me… When this opportunity came along I thought long about who to choose. To be honest, I was really impressed by your work visually, which is why I chose you finally… Somehow, I felt that your photos were as symbolic and profound as my approach to photography. The other thing is that we had to choose a pair while we were on vacation in Italy, so I felt like, why not? 

I’m a little sorry that I couldn’t be there properly. It was a little scary how much more professional the community was there than, for example, in Hungary. Everyone was much more focused and positive and less pessimistic than, for example, in my country. 

Overall, I was very pleased with the constructive criticism and I can’t wait to incorporate it into my work. 

Alessio: I have to say that I also found the climate in Prague quite hostile, I was not ready for the wind and cold coming from the south.  

I’m very honored indeed. I also think that my way of seeing the world is very much aligned with yours, I see that our gazes travel on frequencies that are very similar and interwine on themes that we have in common. 

I think each of us felt some pressure, but in the end what you have to do was trust yourself. If we were there, there will be a reason and it is who we are… so no fear.

The problem is being able to be critical in the right measure, otherwise it is a real self-sabotage. 

Olivér: Yes, you’re right. But when you reach the end of a long series knowing that it’s finished, no matter how thought-provoking the criticism may be, it’s difficult to pick up the thread again.  I don’t know how to say this in English… but this is how we say it in Hungarian… What do you think could be the common ground on which we could build the exhibition? I don’t think either of us necessarily thinks or creates based on homogeneous visual material… Both of our works are quite diverse visually, so what do we want to show? Or what should reflect each other? What do you think? 

I have a few ideas, but I’m curious to hear what you think. 

Alessio: Exactly you are right, it is always difficult to get back into the game with something that you think is saturated or has nothing more to say. I’m completely open to any of your suggestions actually, although I think we might find stimulation through whatever facet we choose of our research 

Would you like to talk about what you have in mind? 

Olivér: Basically, three points of view came to mind. One is that perhaps the human body could be one connection, and the other is perhaps a little more complex, if we reflect on masculinity as a theme. The third is that I think the landscape and its more symbolic use appear strongly in both of our works.  I think these three main topics appear quite strongly in both of our works. 

One of the most recent examples of your work, which is also posted on the Futures website… although inyour case, it is motivated by personal reasons. 

My main topic is usually politics and its effects on our environment, human psyche, etc..

Alessio: Body and environment are extremely intertwined, and they are much more similar than we think. What we see through the environment has huge repercussions within our body, its appearance is actually the resultant of what happens around us. I think we should become sensitized to this and be able to notice the change and to be artists, photographers, creative, means to do politics because what we do moves the thoughts of the masses by making a synthesis of what is happening in the world.

Your work on masculinity is a perfect example, it helps to make reflections on the body and the value that the body has in our society. 

Olivér: I’ve never thought about it that way, but you’re absolutely right. When you think of masculinity and the body, what images come to mind? Which ones could be exciting in a pair?

Alessio: Look, I took this photograph of my grandchildren a few days ago.. 

Of course, my intention was not to represent masculinity in that moment, but rather a natural attempt to capture the beauty of brotherhood. But you know, I think masculinity, its essence starts right here, in the brotherhood and how you identify yourself within it. Don’t you think?

Olivér: Yes, I remember it. I liked the post. This is so kind, especially what you wrote in the post. Very innocent and pure. I remembered that I have a wrestling picture, but paired with this one, it would seem too aggressive, but I think this two is very good in pair.

They are very different. One is innocent, gentle, childlike, the other aggressive and rough. Both are instinctive in some way, but they reflect masculinity, for example. As they get older, the difference between boys and men becomes more pronounced in terms of roughness and power. What is play and fun between boys becomes increasingly about power as time goes on.

However, this is your personal work, which I understand if you don’t. Also, I don’t know, if I think from other people’s perspective, it might be a very strange combination.

One is starting point, the other a mid-life situation. I think it reflects very well how situations change in a person’s life (in this case, men/boys) as social pressures and influences increasingly affect them.

Two more things came to mind. One is also related to masculinity, the other more to the human body. But honestly I love so much your nephews pics, so I think im done but I mention for these tho other options. Perhaps one of the images from your ’In Nola’ series?

The other pair for the human body theme…

What do you think? The core topics of your ‘In Nola’ series is essentially a religious theme.. right? Which is why I thought it might work, because, for example, my series is still ongoing and the religious aspect is missing from it.

Alessio: I send you a reference.

Olivér: OK, I’m curious:) 

Alessio:

Is one of the moments captured during the construction site where the famous Gigli of Nola are being built, which only men (in the sense of collaborating in the construction) have access to.

Olivér: I like this too  I think any combination could work, by the way…I like that you move free in your series. I love that you mix up the moods too. It’s not homogeneous, everything moves across a broad spectrum. Technique, use of flash, colors, perspectives, compositions… I love it. 

Alessio: Thank you very much, I really enjoy mixing ways of describing the same reality. Even using still life and sometimes faster approaches than my usual and I’ve seen from your work that you do the same, it’s as if you use your gaze as a tool for renewal of how you approach the reality around you.
You manage to spell out the look by creating incredible metaphors.

Olivér: I always use metaphors.:) And thank you.. And the other things,I prefer to explore rather than make statements. For example, at the FUTURES event, many photographers make statements in their work.

In the review situation also showed that I have a different approach to things. Someone, for example, missed this statement. I have a feeling that this is also similar things in our works. But honestly, I am photographer. I am not a scientist, psychologist, or anthropologist ahahah…

I do not want to make any statements. Rather, I am create some kind of „medical report” on the things around me, and I leave the interpretation up to the viewer.

Alessio: Believe me, it is really a relief to read these words because I feel the same way. Most of the time I feel I am lesser than others because it seems that my research is never consistent enough. But really it is that I make myself my own research and I like to immerse myself in many things at once.

Olivér: Then I’m not alone in with this. Are you planning to continue your ’In Nola’ series?
This is very dumb question, but what kind of tool do you work with?  I just can’t decided. Analog or digital?

Alessio: mmh no, I think, also because I’ve anything more to say about it even though it’s a issue rich of thing to say about many and many aspects. I work in digital, I found analog too expensive and limiting for me. I want to be as free as possible to express myself without any technical or time constraints.

Olivér: This is interesting. On this issue, I am your exact opposite. Although my photos appear to be „found” images but 80% of them are staged. Of course, there are found, and spontaneous shots,   but I basically sketch the image first and then take a photo that is very similar to it. I usually have a mix of everything. Analog, digital, shitty compact camera images, scan, everything.

Alessio: I said technical contraints only in terms of mediums but I’m am overthinker in terms of choices, compositions and meanings ahahah

Olivér: The Gigli of Nola building reminded me that. There is a building, in my Male Geist series. For example, this. (typical phallic building) This is the main building of the Hungarian Oil company in Budapest…

Alessio: I noticed, but you have a really incredibly poetic and delicate way of representing them. You are never vulgar. Ahahah well, imagination does the rest.

Olivér: So typical & so obvious. Of course, the architect is also a man. Another funny story, there was a lot written about it in Hungary, that the top men’s toilet is completely glass… so in the evening, for example, you can see what people are doing. This is also such a toxic symbol.  

I think whichever one we choose, it will be a powerful statement from us. But it can still be interpreted in many ways. But I’m pretty careful with statements… I already told you what I think about that.

Alessio: Wow, so weird! ahahaha
Amazing how Hungarian men know how to have fun. I think the same… so let’s go to the first choice. What do you think?

Olivér: I agree. I think the two pictures together are quite thought-provoking. 

Alessio: I also think they are provocative but they leave one thinking about the meaning of brotherhood and machoism, a dichotomy that so often is confused with camaraderie and bullying.
What should be done is to return to the origin of the meaning of genders by contemplating their beauty in their diversity and not making them an instrument of supremacy and power. And this your work does, with a slight irony. Just enough to bring down the overratedness of masculinity.

Olivér: It’s provocative, but I think there’s a great need for this in my country. Honestly, not just here, but basically everywhere. It’s a relevant question. Then I think we know what we’re pairing up. Nice!

FUTURES – European Photography Platform started in 2017. This cooperation, which connects 20 photography centers across 20 European countries, set as one of its main goals to scout remarkable new talents and introduce them into the world of international photography, and into the art market inparticular. Each institution participating in FUTURES selects five emerging artists per yearand then creates a number of situations for them–exhibitions, roundtable discussions, tutoring, portfolio reviews, workshops, and virtual events–where they can establish professionalrelationships with people from different areas of expertise within photography, and with eachother. 

FUTURES – European Photography Platform is co-funded by the Creative Europe program of the European Commission.

Capa Center’s FUTURES talents in 2025: Anna Gajewszky, Lujza Hevesi-Szabó, Sára Kölcsey-Gyurkó, Olivér Lantos, Hunor Tóth

The The Elevator Chats 3.0 exhibition was organised by the Capa Center and curated by Emese Mucsi. 

The exhibiting artists were: Gajewszky Anna (HU) & Emilia Martin (PL), Hevesi-SzabóLujza (HU) & Matteo Buonomo (IT), Kölcsey-Gyurkó Sára (HU) & Zoe Hamill (IE), Lantos Olivér (HU) & Alessio Pellicoro (IT), Tóth Hunor (HU/RO) & Igor Schiller (RS/NL)

1. The elevator pitch or elevator chat is an impromptu self-introduction technique performed in monologic or dialogic form, allowing the speaker to transfer substantial information to their interlocutor about themselves or the project they are working on.  ︎

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