Mattia Balsamini photographs one of the worlds biggest country fairs

For a couple of years now I’ve been compiling a list of elite clubs I dream of being a part of, and one of those is the world of country music. As if to further ignite my jealousy last week Italian photographer Mattia Balsamini sent over a zine containing a series he shot at a three-day country fair in Pordenone, Italy, and it looks absolutely glorious.

“Visitors came from some of the most remote Italian regions, as well as Germany, Switzerland and Slovenia,” Mattia explains. “For one weekend the town exhibition halls became saloons, ranches, and above all dancefloors.” Obviously he had to attend. “Partly out of masochism in wanting to hear country rock (and dance) music,” he says, “but also a bit out of curiosity, and in the end what came out is this series.”

The accompanying publication was created by Tipografia Reali and BOLO, with a layout by Cecilia Capelli, “who re-traced patterns of some of the many country dances and used them as graphical elements.” Which is basically the cherry on the cake for me.