72 Photographs by Paolo Portoghesi on Borromini at Accademia Nazionale di San Luca

The Accademia Nazionale di San Luca in Rome presents 72 photographs by architect, historian, and critic Paolo Portoghesi (1931–2023), exploring Borromini's architecture. Curated by Francesco Cellini and Laura Bertolacci, the exhibition runs until November 4, 2023, under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic. Portoghesi, who served as President of the Accademia from 2013 to 2014 and chaired the first Architecture Biennale in 1980, began photographing Borromini's works at age 16. His book "Paolo Portoghesi: di Francesco Borromini" (first published in 1966, reissued at age 90) serves as the source for the black-and-white 6×6 cm negatives. The images capture Roman landmarks including Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, San Giovanni in Laterano, Casa dei Filippini, Sant'Agnese in Agone, Palazzo Falconieri, Collegio di Propaganda Fide, and Sant'Andrea delle Fratte. Shot with Rolleiflex or Hasselblad cameras, the photographs abandon traditional tripod staticity, influenced by constructivist Aleksandr Rodčenko. Portoghesi climbed high to find new visual angles, sometimes casting his own shadow in the frame.