Milan seen from the sea...it's in color: here are the shots of young migrants.

Milan – “We all always cross a sea when life changes . And it doesn't always have to involve the Mediterranean. These kids are starting to look at Milan with different eyes; from a black-and-white city, they've moved on to a colorful Milan.” Roberto R. Franchi is the photographer who led the workshops with the MSNA (Unaccompanied Foreign Minors) group, the authors of the shots on display in the exhibition “ Milan Seen from the Sea ,” organized by the Fr-Agile! project , which opens today at Palazzo Reale . Thirty-five photographs that tell the story of the encounter between curiosity and discovery, distance and belonging: it collects the gazes of young migrants who, through the lens of a camera, explore the city and their new reality. In 2026, it will also be hosted at the Cinema Museum, the Arlecchino Cinema, and the House of Memory.

"What struck me most about working with these young people," Franchi continues, "is their emotional richness . They perceived the emotional quality of the relationships that were established with the adults who support them in this recovery process. We took them on an exploration of the city, broadening their horizons. We went together to visit the exhibition "Inequalities" at the Triennale. These young migrants are often influenced by images of mass tourism; they have a series of symbols in their minds. In short, we tried to get them to break free from the norm... in which, unfortunately, we too are trapped."

Each of them has their own dramatic stories . Some arrived by boat, crossing the Mediterranean, overcoming profound trauma. They have cognitive, emotional, and behavioral vulnerabilities. And they must learn to manage their anger. "This exhibition," says Milan City Councilor for Welfare and Health Lamberto Bertolé , "helps us convey the perspective of those who, fleeing conflict, violence, and extreme poverty, look to Europe and our city as a mirage, a lifeline."

The photographs on display speak to the heart , "like a universal that speaks to everyone, regardless of their country of origin or the disorders they may or may not have, and it allows people to grow in awareness of their own talents, qualities, and strengths that perhaps they never even imagined before," adds Antonella Costantino, director of the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit at the Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico in Milan. From November 7th to 13th, the photography exhibition will be hosted in the Church of Santo Stefano, and from the 14th at the day center in Figino, at Via Rasario 6, home of the Fr-agile! project.

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