The Architecture Department hosted a seminar on the work of Italian photographer Gabriele Basilico on Wednesday 18 May, 17.30 – 19.00.
This seminar reassessed the work of Basilico (1944-2013), whose contribution to the development of urban photography remains relatively little known in Britain. Basilico graduated in architecture from Milan Polytechnic and began to photograph urban landscapes in the early 1970s under the influence of the ‘new topographics’ approach. After portraying Milan’s factory buildings, he went on to photograph cities around the world for the next four decades. His formation shaped his distinctive way of observing urban space through the camera. By seeking familiar elements in the most foreign of places, he established an intimate bond with every city as an ever-changing living organism. What is the significance of Basilico’s work today, and what is its legacy? An international panel reflected on these questions from the perspectives of architecture, photography, art history, and Italian Studies. While focusing on the work of a singular figure, the seminar addressed wider issues concerning the relationship between contemporary photography and the experience of urban space.
Panel Speakers were:
Alexandra Tommasini, The Bridget Riley Art Foundation, London
Eugénie Shinkle, Department of Photography, University of Westminster
Angelo Maggi, Università IUAV di Venezia
Marina Spunta, School of Modern Languages, University of Leicester
Chair:
Davide Deriu, Department of Architecture, University of Westminster
Abstracts of the presentations are available here.
