Door een aardbeving verwoeste gebouwen te Messina 1908

Luca Comerio made this stereoscopic photograph of earthquake-destroyed buildings in Messina with a camera sometime around 1908. It’s really about looking, not just at, but through, into the process of destruction. The grainy texture of the photograph itself becomes almost like the rubble it depicts. The sepia tones are subtle, allowing you to focus on the forms, the shapes of absence and presence in the devastation. Take a look at the way the walls have crumbled, revealing the interiors. It's like the building has been turned inside out, its secrets exposed. Now, think about how Comerio made the choice to capture this moment, to frame it in a particular way. There’s a conversation happening here, between the event, the photographer, and us. It reminds me a bit of Gordon Matta-Clark's building cuts – a violent, transformative gesture that reveals hidden layers of meaning. Ultimately, this photograph invites us to contemplate the layers of history, memory, and human experience embedded within the architecture. There are no easy answers, only more questions. And that, to me, is what makes it so compelling.