Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
We are in the midst of World War II. The body of a soldier lies somewhere in the mountains of central Italy; in Milan, a German soldier hiding in the basement of a house on Via Monte Nevoso is captured by partisans; in Turin, German soldiers gaze at the body of a member of the partisan organization, who has just been killed in a shootout.
These are just three of the photographs that Paolo Ventura included in War Memories , a book that reflects and recounts the brutal intensity of that war. But unlike the works of other photographers, Ventura’s photographs are clearly staged: the images are the result of meticulous preparation, and each presents a nonexistent memory that nonetheless appears authentic. The soldiers are models, and the scenes and objects in which they appear are all miniatures.
Ventura depicts war as a game set in a grotesque dollhouse, without, however, obscuring the emotion or pain it causes. His photographs offer a profound and surprising reflection on the power of testimony and memory.
Contrasto, 2006
96 pages
25 × 30 cm
ISBN 9788889032978
We are in the midst of World War II. The body of a soldier lies somewhere in the mountains of central Italy; in Milan, a German soldier hiding in the basement of a house on Via Monte Nevoso is captured by partisans; in Turin, German soldiers gaze at the body of a member of the partisan organization, who has just been killed in a shootout.
These are just three of the photographs that Paolo Ventura included in War Memories , a book that reflects and recounts the brutal intensity of that war. But unlike the works of other photographers, Ventura’s photographs are clearly staged: the images are the result of meticulous preparation, and each presents a nonexistent memory that nonetheless appears authentic. The soldiers are models, and the scenes and objects in which they appear are all miniatures.
Ventura depicts war as a game set in a grotesque dollhouse, without, however, obscuring the emotion or pain it causes. His photographs offer a profound and surprising reflection on the power of testimony and memory.
Contrasto, 2006
96 pages
25 × 30 cm
ISBN 9788889032978
