A fata morgana is a complex mirage that distorts objects and then fades very quickly. It often appears as a band above the horizon; a band that many say resembles land. The name comes from the old belief that these mirages were created by Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay in an attempt to lure sailors to their deaths.

The fata morgana is visible from my region in the southern part of Italy, Salento. Salento, like all of Europe, has recently become a false place of wonder and hope for the people who are fleeing their homes in search of better lives.

These pictures represent a metaphor for our geopolitical situation, which quickly transforms reality into myth and myth into reality. For many refugees and migrants from Africa and beyond, the future is comprised of imaginary lives and lands—and yet the destination they dream about, the horizon, is constantly shifted farther and farther away.

My photographic series “Fata Morgana” is comprised of symbols or situations that offer a new conception of themes related to migration and the immigrant labor market.

These photos create a mirage that splits the nature of things by revealing their double identity: an identity that is both real and imaginary.

—Alessia Rollo