Metafisica concerta / Concrete metaphysics
“Concrete Metaphysics” is a fascinating and unusual metaphysical journey through Italy. Metaphysics concerns what lies beyond the physical universe we perceive. It can only be expressed through metaphors. In this book, the camera becomes a tool for creating them and, as the title suggests through an oxymoron, for describing a concrete metaphysics. Black-and-white photographs, many of which are large-format, depict mysterious and unsettling places. These include Tresigallo’s rationalist ideal city, Burri’s Cretto di Gibellina, and the esoteric constructions of La Scarzuola and Bomarzo.
These images are characterized by a strong emotional impact. Buildings, monuments, and churches are unadorned, completely naked, revealing their true essence. Architectural archetypes, from arches to pillars and columns, transcend time because the truth of things is eternal. Finally, the human condition. The photographs generally lack any human presence. This emphasizes both the solitude of existence and the fact that reality is independent of observers and indifferent to humanity.
This follows “Silent Theaters” (Kehrer Verlag, 2023), which explores the impermanence of all things and the beauty of decay. Both books have won several international awards, notably first place in the Books category at the Tokyo International Foto Awards in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Publisher: Contrasto 2024 ISBN 978-8869659751
Hardcover 29 x 24 cm 144 pages 101 duotone illustrations Italian/English texts
Artist: Giovanni Maria Sacco Curator: Benedetta Donato
Texts: Benedetta Donato, Flavia Concina, Giovanni Maria Sacco
