Albert Watson Depicts Rome His Own Way in New Photography Exhibit
MILAN — Over the past five decades renowned photographer Albert Watson has had no shortage of blissful moments.
From portraying Alfred Hitchcock and Steve Jobs to taking beauty shots of Kate Moss, depicting Las Vegas landscapes and lensing fashion campaigns for the likes of Chanel, Prada and Levi's, his photographic career has brought him to many a place.
More from WWD
Madison Cox on How He's Transforming the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Paris
A Look at Giorgio Armani's New Exhibition Celebrating His 20 Years of Haute Couture
'A Caged Dog Barks the Fiercest' Documents Mexico City's Eclectic Voices and Personalities
For his latest solo exhibition, the largest ever mounted in Italy, Watson trained his lens on an entirely different subject: Rome. He sought to decipher its complexity layered in history and global fascination.
'Roma Codex,' which opens Thursday at the Palazzo Esposizioni Roma, gathers 200 large-scale black-and-white and color images by the famed photographer shot across two years spent wandering through Rome guided, he said, only by his instinct.
'I had to just experience Rome. I didn't want to approach it with preconceived ideas or the pressure of capturing what people expect to see. The city is overflowing with history, but I was interested in what happens in the spaces between the monuments, the energy of its streets, the faces, the movement,' Watson told WWD.
'I'm Scottish, not Roman. That gave me a certain freedom. Like Robert Frank photographing America, I was discovering Rome on my own terms,' he said.
Aiming to provide a new perspective on the city, Watson subverted all hierarchies between different subjects.
All images — spread across the three main halls of the Roman exhibiting space — have the same scale and are not arranged in thematic order.
'Whether it's the Colosseum or a portrait of a young actor, they all occupy the same visual space. That balance was essential to me,' Watson said. 'I didn't want to organize the images thematically. I like chaos, a kind of controlled disorder. It mirrors how people consume images now. You go from a tsunami to a dog to a fashion photo in seconds on your feed,' he added.
To be sure, interspersed amid cinematic views of the Colosseum, Ara Pacis and Villa Medici, among other landmarks, are portraits of personalities and people that are shaping the city's culture and everyday life.
They include Alda Fendi; Giancarlo Giammetti; Oscar-winning movie director Paolo Sorrentino; Italian actors Valeria Golino Riccardo Scamarcio, Kasia Smutniak, and Pierfrancesco Favino, as well as ballet dancers Roberto Bolle and Eleonora Abbagnato, and architects Massimiliano Fuksas and Doriana Mandrelli.
Shots inside the Rome Opera House's ballet school and underground clubs also contribute to trace Watson's view of the city.
'I didn't want to deliver a predictable portrait of the city. Romans already know the monuments. I wanted to show something else, something they maybe hadn't seen in quite that way,' Watson said.
'I photographed where I felt there was a story. For me, it was important that the monuments and the people carried the same weight… Rome presents itself to you, layer by layer, if you take the time to look,' the photographer said.
The exhibition — curated by Clara Tosi Pamphili and promoted by the Assessorato alla Cultura di Roma Capitale and Azienda Speciale Palaexpo with help from Studio F.P. — runs through Aug. 3.
Best of WWD
Celebrity Style at Coachella Through the Years: Taylor Swift, Amy Winehouse and More [PHOTOS]
From John Galliano to Paul Smith, Designers Who've Created Christmas Trees at Claridge's
The Most Over-the-top Hats From the Royal Ascot Races Through the Years
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lockerbie: Remembering the victims of Flight 103
Almost 40 years on, it seems surprising there are still new stories to tell about the Lockerbie disaster. The destruction of Pan Am 103 in the skies above the small Dumfries and Galloway town on 21 December 1988 is one of the most chronicled events in recent British history. A bomb exploded in the plane's cargo hold, causing the Boeing 747 to break up at 31,000ft as it flew from Heathrow to New York. All 259 passengers and crew on board were killed, along with 11 people in Lockerbie who died when the plane fell on their homes. It remains the biggest terror attack to have taken place on British soil. Coverage tends to focus on anniversaries, but the past six months have brought two big-budget television dramas and later this year a play about the town's response to the disaster will debut at Glasgow's Citizens Theatre. Now, a BBC Scotland documentary aims to tell some of the less well-known stories about those who died on the flight, and about those they left behind. Among the victims on the plane was Tim Burman, a 24-year-old banker who was flying to New York to spend Christmas with his girlfriend, Rose Grant. Tim was the youngest of four and the only boy. His three sisters - Rachel, Tanya and Fiona - remember him as an "arty, sporty" brother who was keen on the environment and loved running in the Scottish hills. Tanya says: "He genuinely was easy-going and fun, really good fun". Rose, who Tim met while he was on a gap year in Australia, says: "I enjoyed his sense of humour, his style, sense of adventure, ability to get on with everyone. They all mourn his lost potential. His sister Tanya says: "He's both the brother we had, but also a victim of Pan Am 103." Rose believes Tim and his death created a huge bond between them all. "Tim is everywhere in the conversation and the mannerisms of Rachel, Tanya and Fiona," she says. "Our connection is held together by him still." Olive Gordon was 25 and a hairdresser from Birmingham. She had bought a last-minute ticket on Pan Am 103 and was planning on enjoying some shopping in New York in the run up to Christmas. "She was just yapping. She said 'I'm going to America tomorrow. Going to buy stuff'. She loved shopping," her sister Donna says. Donna describes Olive as "very bubbly, very full on. You just would not forget her if you knew her". Olive was one of nine siblings. "I have always asked 'why her? why my sister?'" her brother Colyn says. "And it's something that you sort of battle with. And I'm still battling with it, a little bit. Well, not a little bit, a lot." Her family believe she would have been in business now, something involving hair and beauty. "She would probably be an influencer right now," Donna says. William MacAllister, known as Billy, was a 26-year-old professional golfer from Mull. He was heading to the USA for a romantic break with his girlfriend Terri. Her friends say Terri was hoping Billy was about to propose. Fellow golf pro Stewart Smith worked with Billy at a course in London and remembers his friend as a natural comic with a zest for life. "He was a very funny guy. Great sense of humour, great sense of fun," he says. "He had moved to Richmond Park, so I went across and worked with Billy. Imagine living in London in the mid-80s when you're mid-20s, both of you. "We had some great times." Back in Mull, family friends have put a memorial bench on the course at Tobermory, where they say Billy played every day after school and every weekend from the age of 12. They remember him as "some guy". Family friend Olive Brown says: "Every December I do have a wee sad moment, thinking he's not here. All that potential, enthusiasm and ability got caught short." Colyn and other members of Olive Gordon's family visited Lockerbie in the days after the disaster. It was a shocking scene. "I remember the crater, this huge hole, and these little bits all over the place. It just had this smell. My God, my sister was found here. Somewhere here," he says. In the weeks that followed, members of the local community came together to wash, press and package up the belongings of those who had died on the plane. The Lockerbie laundry has become a symbol of the kindness shown by the people of the town. They treated the dead and their families with love and care while coping with their own immeasurable trauma. Colyn says: "Just thinking about it now makes me emotional. Because these people, they don't know you, they've never met you. But the way they treated you is as if they were family. "The people of Lockerbie showed how humanity works. How to display compassion, to display love. I'll never forget them. "I don't know if it's quite macabre to say this but I've always said I am glad that's the place that my sister's life was ended. Because of the type of people that live in this place." The events of the night of 21 December 1988 have resonated across the decades. In 2001, a Libyan intelligence officer, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, was convicted of the bombing and 270 counts of murder, following a trial in front of three Scottish judges sitting in a special court at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands. His co-accused, Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, was found not guilty. Suffering from terminal prostate cancer, Megrahi was released from prison in Scotland on compassionate grounds in 2009. He was returned to Libya and spent the next three years living in a villa in Tripoli before finally succumbing to his illness in 2012. Ten years later, Libyan Abu Agila Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi, known as Masud, was taken into American custody after being removed from his home in Tripoli. He is awaiting trial in the USA, accused of building the bomb that destroyed Pan Am 103. Today, the town of Lockerbie remembers the disaster in its own, quiet, way. Pupils from the secondary school can apply for a scholarship to spend a year at Syracuse University, in memory of 35 students from there who died in the bombing. There is a memorial garden on the edge of the town, as well as plaques in Sherwood Crescent and Park Place, the two sites where most of the plane came down. Nearby Tundergarth Church, which overlooks the field where the nose cone was found, is also a site of remembrance. But more than anything, the Lockerbie bombing victims are remembered by those they left behind. Every year in Tobermory, members at the golf club play for the cup which carries Billy MacAllister's name. And his friend Stewart has a special reason to remember him. "He had a big impact on my life really because, had Billy not enticed me to go and work over at Richmond, I would probably have not got to know my then girlfriend, who became my wife. My life would have been a very different one from what it became," he says. "What a shame he didn't get a chance to go on and fulfil his potential." For Rose, Tim's early death has shaped the course of the past four decades for all those who loved him. "I think the gift that Tim's given us is to live our lives. I always feel that I owe that to him. Get out and do it." Olive's death has had the same effect on Colyn and their siblings. "Olive would have wanted us to live a good life, a full life. Like how she lived. Having a good time." Lockerbie: Our Story will be available on the BBC iPlayer from 22:00 on Monday 2 June and will be shown on BBC Two at 21:00 and BBC Scotland at 22:00 on Tuesday 3 June. First look at new BBC and Netflix Lockerbie drama Lockerbie bombing: The ultimate detective story? Timeline: Lockerbie bombing
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
The UK must raise defence spending
The danger with any defence review is that it ends up fighting the last war or failing to anticipate the next threat. We are about to have the third in 10 years, which suggests the long-term planning that supposedly underpinned the previous reviews has been found wanting. The current review has been undertaken by, among others, Lord Robertson who as Labour defence secretary under Tony Blair oversaw an earlier iteration completed in 1998. It created the Joint Reaction Force and most controversially commissioned two new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers seen at the time as a sop to Scottish shipyards and Labour's MPs north of the Border. One of those carriers, HMS Prince of Wales, together with accompanying strike group, is on an eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific at a time when tensions with China are growing. The US defense secretary Pete Hegseth has somewhat alarmingly suggested that a possible assault on Taiwan is imminent. This has been denied in Beijing but the military build up is ominous and is causing concern in the region. Australia's defence minister has called on China to explain why it needs to have 'such an extraordinary military build-up'. His counterpart in the Philippines has called China 'absolutely irresponsible and reckless' in its the face of this development, the £6 billion investment in carriers able to project UK power as part of a wider coalition designed to stop Chinese expansionism does not seem such a poor investment after all. It has taken close to 30 years for the threat to materialise in the way it has, which is precisely what a strategic review is supposed to do – look to the long term. The latest takes place against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, something that was considered highly unlikely as recently as the 2015 review, even though by then Crimea had been annexed by Moscow. Anticipating the threats to national, regional and global security is difficult but they have not really changed that much in the past three decades. The biggest upheaval is in the willingness of the US to continue bankrolling the rest of the democratic world, which it is no longer prepared to do. The new reality is that much more money needs to be spent on defence than the 2.5 per cent of GDP promised by the Government. Unless we see a financial commitment commensurate to the threat this latest review risks foundering before it takes off. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ncuti Gatwa shares emotional message to fans and co-stars after Doctor Who exit
Ncuti Gatwa has shared an emotional post thanking his co-star companions after leaving the show. Gatwa's 15th Doctor regenerated in Saturday's finale (May 31), and regenerated into the returning Billie Piper. In a statement provided by the BBC, the Scottish-Rwandan actor said the "journey has been one that I will never forget". Now, he has shared a social media post thanking co-stars Millie Gibson and Varada Sethu. Gatwa regenerating in his final episode of Doctor Who (Image: BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/PA) Gibson played Ruby Sunday and was the main companion in Gatwa's first series as the 15th Doctor. Her character appeared less frequently in the second series, with Varada Sethu's Belinda Chandra taking the mantle as the new companion. Taking to Instagram, Gatwa shared a picture of the trio, and said: "Three queens of the sky, "Twas an experience like no other and thank God we were by eachothers side. "There aren't quite the words for how much you both mean to me but I am so grateful I got the opportunity to work, learn from and laugh with you both everyday. "You're both just simply incredible and it has been nothing short of a blessing to share this journey with both of you. "Ruby Sunday and Belinda Chandra will live in mine and the Whoniverse hearts forever. "Also shout out to the CAPTAIN of all 15's companions. Captain Poppy. Ultimate top dog of this season! (lil Sienna brought so much life and magic to us all on set ) I love you guys. We did it." It was the first of two Instagram posts Gatwa has shared since his exit. The second was a picture of himself in the TARDIS, with the caption: "Monsters, goblins, gods, human-eating Slugs, invisible brain-altering creatures, evil barbers, conspiracy theorists… you've had quite a busy two years. Well done and rest up son. "@bbcdoctorwho @disneydoctorwho @russelltdavies63 @bad_wolf_tv Thank you endlessly. XV." In a statement released by the BBC, on his decision to leave, Gatwa said:'You know when you get cast, at some point you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it. 'This journey has been one that I will never forget, and a role that will be part of me forever. "There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe. 'I've loved every minute of it, but now is the time to hand over the keys to that beloved blue box and let someone else take control and enjoy it every bit as much as I have. "I'll truly miss it, and forever be grateful to it, and everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor.' After Gatwa's exit, the 15th Doctor is seen regenerating into Billie Piper. Piper, 42, first appeared in the series as the companion to the Ninth Doctor in 2005, playing Rose Tyler alongside Christopher Eccleston's Time Lord. She stayed on and was the companion to the 10th Doctor, played by David Tennant. However, despite her introduction on the show, it has not been confirmed she is the 16th Doctor. Some fans are also not convinced, with the end credits reading: "And introducing Billie Piper." Many compared this to when Ncuti Gatwa was introduced as the 15th Doctor, when it read: "And introducing Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor." Previous actors have also received similar credit introductions. "Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor" "Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor" "And introducing Billie Piper" ...but NO "as The Doctor" I FIND THAT VERY SUS. — Ben (He/Him) (@BenDW96) May 31, 2025 One said on X (formerly Twitter): "Billie Piper wasn't introduced as the Doctor, and this year was the 20th anniversary of Series 1... There's definitely more to this..." Another said: "She's clearly not the Doctor but some Bad Wolf shenanigans." Fueling speculation on her role in the show, Doctor Who TV simply says: "But just how and why she is back remains to be seen…" Recommended reading: Ncuti Gatwa regenerates and leaves Doctor Who as '16th Doctor' is revealed Every actor that has played the role of The Doctor and where are they now Doctor Who fans spot hint suggesting Billie Piper may not be the next Doctor On her return, Piper said: 'It's no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn't refuse, but who, how, why and when, you'll just have to wait and see.' Shortly after the finale aired, the actress shared a post on Instagram holding a rose with the caption that read: 'A rose is a rose is a rose !!!' If she is confirmed as The Doctor, Piper will be the second after Jody Whittaker's 13th Doctor.
