VERTIGO

There are a total of 14 zenithal photo taken between 2010 and 2019 inside the sacred buildings that make up the historical architectural compendium of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore: Baptistery, Bell Tower and Cathedral. Seven of them, among the most representative of each architectural body, were printed in large format specifically for this exhibit. The exhibition also includes, in continuous projection, a cross-fading video sequence composed of all 14 zenithal photos, arranged according to the construction chronology of the three monuments. The video sequence is also visible on my website at this link: https://francozampetti.com/en/video/08-opa-florence-2010-2019

ZENITHAL VISIONS. The Poetics of Franco Zampetti, by Vincenzo Vaccaro, Counselor of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore.

Architectural photography is governed by precise rules, ranging from the orthogonal representation of buildings to the Brunelleschian perspective reading, and it allows for the replacement of direct surveying of the framed object, which was traditionally done through freehand drawing, a method used by travelers in the past to memorize what they saw. Typically, our travel photos and views of monumental buildings are limited to shots of facades and interiors with details of the artwork present, and rarely include images directed upwards. When we enter a temple, we admire the surrounding environment and sense the tension that urges us to look up, thanks to the light that strikes us through Gothic windows or Romanesque mosaics. However, our vision is limited by the human field of view, and we must continually move our eyes to capture the entire space around us. Since the dawn of photography, images of monuments from cities around the world have been created. These images have multiplied to an incalculable number and have been seen by millions of people up to today. Among the hundreds of photographs taken over the years by Franco Zampetti in Italy and around the world, in this exhibition, the photographer presents a selection of seven images dedicated to the monuments preserved by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, in the heart of Florence: the Baptistery of San Giovanni with a central shot and one from the matroneum; the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with views of the counter-facade, the apse, and the sacristy of the masses; the Campanile of Giotto with a central view and an external shot of the Paradise area (between the Cathedral facade and the Baptistery), which creates an astonishing emotional tension of longing towards infinity. Also on display is a screen that continuously shows all the zenithal images of the Opera’s architecture taken by the artist since 2010. Franco Zampetti does not settle for conventional shots. With an uncommon vision, he transports the observer to the center of the image. The wide cone of the hyper-wide-angle lens surpasses the human physiological field of view, opening up new horizons. The camera, designed by him, is specifically built to capture the entire environment and expand the space. The resulting image transforms into a work of art that transcends architecture. The observer who views these images taken in sacred spaces is overcome with vertigo from the extraordinary vision they perceive and is projected toward infinity. The objective vision of architecture thus becomes a subjective moment, enjoyed as pure poetry.