Paolo Ventura is an Italian
photographer, artist, and set designer, widely known for his narrative works
that possess a hazy sense of timelessness. These “invented worlds” or
“ir-realities” as he calls them, are created using cardboard and found objects
from flea markets and eBay to construct a universe of elaborate dioramas filled
with tiny details. Ventura photographs them as if they are life-sized, and the
results feature a cloudy and undefined atmosphere where narratives play out
like dreams, somewhere between fantasy and memory. His works, though placed in
ambiguous settings, often reference the period around WWII, as well as
fantastical stories told by Ventura’s father, a children’s book author.
Featured image: Paolo Ventura - Behind the Walls
#4, 2011 (detail). Pigment print on Fine Art Paper. 27 3/5 × 39 2/5 in. 70 ×
100 cm. Edition of 5 + 2AP. This work is part of a limited edition set. Photo
courtesy Galerie XII