NOCTURNUS GENIUS

 

This work comes from a series of nocturnal drifts through Venice, a city often reduced to a simple scenario for tourism and commerce. I go beyond its spectacularization to explore its intimate and hidden side. The inspiration comes from the theory of drift and psychogeography, which pushed me to observe Venice as it appears and feels. At night, the city ebbs from the daytime clamour and reveals itself in all its emotional essence made of lights, shadows, and a delicate balance between human presence and absence. Through this exploration, I focus on the "genius loci" that describes the spirits of a place. In the past, in ancient Rome, this term referred to a deity protecting space. Today, we interpret it as the set of physical, historical, cultural and emotional qualities that make a place unique. In "Nocturnus Genius", I tried to capture just a tiny subset of the hundreds of "genius loci" of a city contaminated and permeated by 1603 years of history and the alternation of cultures and populations. It is a research combining my passion for urban exploration and sensitivity. With its silent backstages and nocturnal and depopulated streets, Venice becomes a stage for contemplation and introspection. Each image is an invitation to look beyond the surface and discover the city's hidden side"Nocturnus Genius" represents the first step of a more extensive journey, a project to explore other cities and urban spaces through the lens of the night.
The present and the absent, the human and the divine that hides in every corner of the city.
The Project is hosted by the "Museo del Camminare" (Walking Museum) in Venice, in the "RE-ITER" section, in English and Italian versions.
 
The photographic book Nocturnus Genius is also available in the e-book / printed version on the Amazon platform and in printed version on the Blurb platform.
 
 
 

Presences

Absences

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