Photographs by Michael Kenna.
64 pp., 40 duotone illustrations, 12x13".
This crumbling jewel of Northern Italy, built completely on
marshland, is steeped in history and irresistibly imbued with
romance. Known as “The City of Light” and “Queen of the
Adriatic,” Venezia is indelibly tinged with dark intrigue, decadence
and decay. Comprising 118 small islands along the Adriatic
Sea, Venezia was a maritime power during the Middle Ages
and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusades. The city’s
long decline began some 500 years ago; but its survival of two
episodes of the Black Death, and the loss of its thousand years of
independence to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797 – as well as the fact
that it appears to be sinking slowly into the waters on which it is
built – has only added to its mystique. This beautifully produced
book brings together a collection of haunting images quietly
made by Michael Kenna over the last 30 years, many of which are
published here for the first time. Arguably the most influential
photographer of his generation, Michael Kenna is the subject of
over 35 monographs. The images in Venezia are part of a large
retrospective exhibition of Kenna’s work at Palazzo Magnani
Museum, Reggio Emilia, Italy in Spring, 2010. This first printing
of Venezia is limited to 2,000 hand-numbered, slipcased copies.
About the Limited Edition
Special edition of 250 signed
and numbered copies in a
custom-made clamshell box.