This publication documents a visual research on the perimeters of all five
boroughs of New York, featuring a photographic portfolio, a set
of maps and a series of texts.
Between spring 2016 and that of 2018, Antonio Rovaldi walked around the
margins of New York, tracing the perimeters of all five boroughs that make
up the city. It's in these border zones that the concrete jungle thins out,
suddenly giving way to nature once more. Here, Canada geese settle to brood
their eggs, and horseshoe crabs—strange prehistoric creatures—wash up onto
the beaches, while the few urban traces to be found resemble the final
residues or the first outposts of humanity, hinting at the presence of other
possible worlds.
“If I were to start my long walk along the edges of the five
boroughs of New York City all over again, I would probably come up with an
entirely different book. But one thing would remain unchanged: my constant
rethinking over where I come from, where I'm headed and at what speed.”
Born 1975 in Parma, Antonio Rovaldi lives and works between Milan and New York. The artist's research moves around the relative themes and perceptions of spaces and landscapes, always showing the relations of the different materials used, like that of photography, video, sculptures and drawings. Since 2006 Rovaldi divides his time between Milan and New York. His recent solo shows include Hirshhorn Museum Washington DC, and The Goma Madrid.
Texts by Francesca Berardi, Cecilia Canziani, Anna de Manincor,
Claudia Durastanti, Lorenzo Giusti, Steven N. Handel, Antonio Rovaldi.
Maps by Francesca Benedetto.
