Hotel Image: the photojournalist Simone Donati’s caustic first job
In may 2015 came out Hotel Image, first photo book by Simone Donati ā Professor of Photography at the Libera Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze ā as well as a member of the a Terra Project TeamĀ work five years aimed at finding all those phenomena of social aggregation of which is the appearance of paroxysmal event of faith the work gathers 48 color images. Photographs of rallies and meetings of a political nature, concerts, sports and religious events that immortalize hoards of people gripped by a frenzy of religion, convinced and illusion, probably, have finally found their new reference.
In his book, Donati likes to emphasize the grotesque and kitsch appearance of these events, all skilfully accentuated the graph of the work (edited by Emanuele Poli), which can boast not too vague similarities with traditional bibles from the cover in blue with leather-like characters and flyleaf cover in gold foil.
A celebration of excess, but certainly not an end in itself: the images, for example, are interspersed with some citations (written in verses) are taken from social networks that result of shrewd and cutting inventiveness what is also the curator of post-namely faction Quit the Doner (Daniel Rielli), a young journalist who writes for The Republic and The world. He credited us back with your feet on the ground, because particularly skillful in emphasizing grotesque appearance of events immortalized, but never forget that taste a little pessimistic that focuses on flaws and foibles of a people, one Italian.
Hotel Image, whose title was chosen by Donati because considered particularly significant and capable of highlighting key concepts conveyed in the book, is a veritable conceptual, intellectually refined operation and kitsch in the form. The result meditated a long photographic work, carried out with passion and commitment throughout all Italy has always been the object of the analysis of the young author.
Nothing is left to chance: even the bookmark choice deserves due attention; in fact, he was chosen a small flap of tissue that shows the colors of the Italian flag, our country much vilified and considered almost dangerously embarrassing.
Hotel image is an artwork that pushes the viewer to think, to ask questions about fate and evolution of the company, the “show society” he so loves to appear and rely on charismatic leaders ready to do anything to get worship unconditionally.
A given credit for having had the courage to observe and record these phenomena with that typical method apparently neutral and distant (but not too much) of the most capable, cultured and witty photojournalist.
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