Nicolò Degiorgis was born in 1985 in a small town at the foot of the Italian Alps. After studying Chinese for two years at University of Venice, he moved to Hong Kong to intern in a trading company, and then to Beijing to continue his study of the Chinese language at the Capital Normal University. He interned at Magnum Photos in Paris for six months and was awarded a 2008/09 Fabrica fellowship, Benetton's communication research center, where his work is concentrated on legal borders, immigration and identity.