The bewildering allure of the candy-colored water garden: the best photo by Massimo Siragusa | Art and design

IThali has some of the most beautiful natural beaches in Europe, so I find it fascinating that so many holidaymakers choose to go to places like the one in this photo: a strange manufactured island with plastic palm trees. This photo is from the “Free Time” series which was important to me. I started it at a time when I was having a lot of personal problems, in 2006 and 2007. I needed to do something that would change my vision, my way of seeing the world, and even to some extent reinvent myself.

I have always been interested in landscapes, cities and the relationship between people and the environments in which they live. The topic I decided to work on was mass tourism. I wanted to open our eyes to this strange side of modern life: the fact that people would rather spend time in an artificial park or a beach, rather than visiting a real beach.

Many people want to go on vacation to a place where they know exactly what to expect, and they will never be surprised or discover anything by accident. Many will also flock to sites they’ve seen other people post photos of on Instagram – often distorting the reality of that site. They will take their photos without taking the time to engage with the place. Today, even when tourists visit natural attractions, such as mountains in the Alps, they expect to find something good to eat there, with music and a high level of service. They want the same things we have in the city. But that’s not the essence of mountains, which we should really visit to find refuge, tranquility, and connection with the natural world.

I researched and took photos in holiday parks around the Tre Cime di Lavaredo mountains in the Dolomites, as well as during cruises – a type of holiday that is increasingly popular, especially among young people. The Italian cruise company, Costa, let me spend a week on a ship, but when photographing the theme parks, I mostly went as just another tourist rather than as a journalist. I didn’t want to change the way people acted by appearing like I was doing a professional job, so I would dress up in a swimsuit like them and do the same things.

At the time, I was using a very heavy medium format camera, and this was not the most convenient way to work. If I did the same project today, I’d probably use my iPhone – that would be the perfect way to get the photos I wanted without drawing attention to myself. The approach I took with the brightness of the leisure images is my way of highlighting the strange and unnatural character of these places: everything is designed to be perfect and made in candy colors that appeal to children.

The woman in the black swimsuit is a real central presence – in the way she stands in the fake sea and looks out at the artificial island, as if she is gazing at a spectacle of natural wonder. The photo was taken at either Mirabilandia Water Park or Gardaland Resort, both in northern Italy. The fact that I can’t pinpoint exactly which ones without checking them out is perhaps revealing in itself. They’re not identical, but they have the same vibe. In fact, this park could have been anywhere.

The photo by Massimo Siragusa is part of the World Press Photo 70th Anniversary Auction, November 17-26. His book Etna will be released in November by Cavallotto Editions.