Alec Soth's ROME

Every year for the last nine years Fotografia - Rome, has commissioned a major international photographer to portray Rome with total freedom.
Previous photographers have been Josef Koudelka (2003), Olivo Barbieri (2004), Anders Petersen (2005), Martin Parr (2006), Graciela Iturbide (2007), Gabriele Basilico (2008), Guy Tillim (2009) and Tod Papageorge (2010).

This year’s commission went to American photographer Alec Soth, who has presented a series he has called La Belle Dame Sans Merci, inspired by Keats’s famous poem of that name. During his residence he says that its purpose was to show the beauty of the city “But I found it impossible. The city was too beautiful to photograph” he declared. In consequence his visual journey in the “eternal city” deals with myths, symbols, sensuality and poetry. Soth reveals Rome through its details of everyday life.

The choice of Alec Soth is part of the festival's broader research into contemporary American photography. Other activities include, the recent exhibition of Stephen Shore at the Museo di Roma in Trastevere, Joel Sternfeld in the spaces of MACRO Testaccio, the residences of Tim Davis, Montheith Matthew and Nancy Davenport and the second edition of the project ‘A Question of Time’ at the American Academy in Rome, the 2010 Rome Commission of Tod Papageorge and the exhibition of Gregory Crewdson at Gagosian Gallery with photographs taken at Cinecittà.

Fotografia- International Festival in Rome
From September 23 to October 23, 2011
MACRO Testaccio _ Piazza O. Giustiniani 4, Roma

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