Luca Campigotto’s journey in China begins with a search for a mythical past and arrives at the chaotic present of the megacities. The photographs collected in Iconic China present an image of the soul of a country in which extraordinary futuristic skylines of cities projected into the future blend with traditions and atmospheres that stretch back thousands of years: the silences and the remoteness of the Great Wall, the archaeological miracle of the unearthed terracotta army, the ancient quietness of the rivers in the south, the dazzling whirlwind of unstoppable urbanisation. Campigotto’s large-format images transform themselves from view to vision: the classic and contemplative look borrowed from great nineteenth-century photography comes to terms with the contemporary world immersing itself in the colours of the urban night. The precision of the compositions – always imbued with references to paintings and the cinema – and a skilful use of light, try to bring order to the vastness and complexity of the scene.

Text by: W. M. Hunt