Paolo Ventura, Atlas Gallery

Infinite City , the debut UK exhibition from Venetian painter and photographer Paolo Ventura, at Marylebone’s Atlas  gallery, is a rare treat for those in the know. Caught somewhere between reality and fantasy, the enchanted urban scenescapes in this much-anticipated new exhibition form unending vistas of wartime Italy and empty suburbs that stretch around the gallery space.

Recently described by Artlyst as “one of the stars of contemporary art, a true artist working in the medium of photography”, Ventura represented Italy in the 2011 Venice Biennale - and his gorgeous photographic fictions continue to make waves in the art world. His trademark technique involves constructing miniature stage sets depicting scenes from his own vivid imagination, then photographing them with a Polaroid camera before altering them by hand to allow his figures to appear in proportion. 

At the heart of the exhibition, a photographic series titled Winter Stories, takes place in time with an eerily invented feel. The images in the series depict scenes inspired by the artist’s childhood in northern Italy, blending soldiers in uniform with a circus-style showmanship – a wartime carnival of Ventura’s own creation.

His talent for set-construction and manipulating photographs stems from his previous career as a fashion photographer with Elle and Marie Claire. Directing his viewers to focus on confined and specific moment of his story, angle and perspective are arranged in his photographs with absolute precision. 

FREE

Address & Map:  49 Dorset St, W1U 7NF  ‎

Nearest Tube: Baker Street