Camp Erech is an Ayzoh! initiative set in the Mauritanian desert, created with a small nomadic community. More than just a field project, it’s a place where tradition and modernity wrestle, adapt, and occasionally find common ground. A space for resilience, dialogue, and survival.
The photographs — taken by two of Ayzoh!’s leading photographers and co-founders, Giulia Zhang and Claudio Maria Lerario —were the result of two intense months spent living in the desert during the harshest season of the year. They chose that moment deliberately: to experience the worst of what the Camp endures, and tell its story from within.
From that fragile balance came a box of prints and a photographic exhibition—raw, essential, and unexpectedly one of the most admired shows at Milan Design Week.
But what no one saw was the chaos behind the scenes. This is the story of how everything almost fell apart—and how, somehow, it didn’t.
Backstage Madness
Months of preparation. Weeks of planning. Days of fine-tuning. And then — 48 hours before opening day — disaster.
“Not Fireproof? Not Happening.”
It turns out our panels didn’t meet fire safety regulations. We were blocked. No exhibition. No show. Just blind panic.
Cue existential crisis.
Then, in an unexpected turn of events, Armani — yes, the Armani — came to the rescue. Having just wrapped up a fashion show, they offered us their exhibition panels. A touch of haute couture for our desert photography? Why not.
Only one problem: we had 20 hours until opening, and absolutely everything still needed to be done.
Enter Ubaldo: The Man with the Golden Hands
Ubaldo Samuelli, our designer and problem-solving wizard, took charge. With superhuman precision and a few muttered curses, he began reshaping and cutting the Armani panels to fit our needs.
No one questioned how he knew exactly what to do. Some say he’s a genius; others say he’s just had way too much experience fixing last-minute disasters.
200 Prints, Zero Nails, and the Great Milanese Hardware Hunt
200 prints needed mounting. Cue another round of panic.
We called in reinforcements—a handful of unsuspecting, slightly terrified helpers. Ready to work, but missing one crucial thing: nails.
Now, if you’re wondering why we couldn’t just pop into a hardware store, here’s the thing—Milan doesn’t have hardware stores. At least, not in the center. It has boutiques, high-end restaurants, and fancy cocktail bars. But if you need something as basic as a hammer or nails, you have to drive to the outskirts of the city like you’re embarking on a life-altering pilgrimage.
So, we did. A heroic soul took the car, crossed the fashion jungle, and found salvation at Leroy Merlin.
DiverCity vs. Ayzoh!: A Clash of Philosophies
Next to us was DiverCity—an organization dedicated to inclusivity and diversity. Nice people. Enthusiastic. Passionate. But they loved to categorize everything and everyone.
Words like inclusivity, diversity, representation floated around like confetti. They even used the upside-down “ə” schwa to neutralize gender in speech. Very different from Ayzoh!’s philosophy, where we simply exist, interact, and share stories without needing labels.
And then came the Great Photo Controversy…
One of Giulia Zhang’s most breathtaking photos was hanging in the space. So powerful, so magnetic, that DiverCity asked us to take it down—apparently, it was too beautiful and overshadowed their exhibition.
Claudio Maria Lerario, known for his absolute lack of diplomatic skills, flatly refused. The photo stays. End of discussion.
But, as always, Ubaldo found a compromise—a little reshuffling, a strategic repositioning, and everyone walked away relatively happy.
Midnight Hustle & A Stunning Success
We worked until the early hours of the morning. Sleep was a distant memory. But when the dust settled, and the last nail was hammered in place, it was worth it.
By the time the exhibition opened, it was clear: Camp Erech was a success.
🔸 50,000 visitors.
🔸 Countless conversations sparked.
🔸 People leaving inspired, having immersed themselves — if only for a moment —in a world unknown to them.
That’s what Ayzoh! does. We bring stories, humanity, and the rawness of real life into places where everything is polished and pre-planned.
We came with sand in a city of marble.
We brought questions to a world full of answers.
And in the end, the desert left its mark on Milan.
