In the past thirty years the word Padania has become part of everyday life in Italy. It refers to an area in Northern Italy that extends from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea. A territory that exists in the ideas of many, but that geographically, culturally and juridically remains undefined. Padanistan (using ‘stan’ as an alternative marker for land), seeks to challenge ownership of this region. Creating a new conceptual space in order to question the existence of Padania and the legitimacy of the right wing politics that created it. The title Padanistan deliberately hijacks the nationalistic rhetoric found within Padanian politics. It questions the notion of place, of boundaries and of defined identities, directly confronting the singular and divisive vision of Italian culture, and the misguided idea of one 'real' Italy.

Padanistan presents a much more nuanced and complex reality, a vision that celebrates a fluid connection with Italy, surrounding countries and the world beyond. The project is the result of a personal view developed as a long road trip along the main national road that connects Torino to Venezia, to discover the places and people living along the way, giving birth to a contemporary reflection on the Northern Italian province.

Co-published by Guest Editions (UK) and studiofaganel (Italy). Edited by Peter Bialobrzeski with afterword by Italian writer Gianluca Didino.