I have documented the opening of the offices in the London financial district after a long period in lockdown. From September 2021, commuters started going back to the city offices gradually, few days per week.
London, September – December 2021
My submission “The party that did not happen” has been awarded with an Honorable mention in the “lockdown life” category.
The London Notting Hill Carnival is one of the largest street party in Europe and it is a significant event in the Caribbean culture. It attracts around two and a half million people annually every year on the last weekend of August. In 2020 the event was cancelled for the first time since 1966 because of the pandemic. This shot was taken on the same day and time of the parade.
Good news from the Paris Photo Prize 2020.
My submission series “Soho Nights” has been awarded with a bronze medal in the “Street Photography” category.
link to the series: https://px3.fr/winners/px3/2020/11560
I am also very fond of another submission “Venice Secrets” which has been awarded an honorable mention in the Press/General News category.
link to the series: https://px3.fr/winners/hm/2020/1-95200-20/
It has been the hottest Carnival ever, with temperatures above 30 degree.
More than just a street party, the Carnival was first held in 1959 in response to a series of racist attacks and rioting that spread in west London. The Carnival was put together to celebrate of the local community, people from the Caribbean coming to London in search of opportunities.
As always, there is a lot of fun, great energy and positive vibes, music and street food, beautiful costumes and dance from the London samba schools.
Once again, a great job from the Notting Hill Carnival organisers. https://www.facebook.com/NHCarnivalLDN/
A few shots from The Notting Hill Carnival. The Jouvert, the Family day under a pouring rain, and the final parade day…
An emotional Notting Hill Carnival this year, marked by poignant tributes to those who lost their life in the Grenfell tragedy. Nevertheless, it was a time to put aside the sadness and celebrate the street party. Once again, I have witnessed two days of amazing costumes and colours, energy and madness from the carnival goers.
The ‘Art of Spectating’ exhibition is open from the 8th to the 20th of May 2017 at the Bartcelona Art Gallery, in Belgrade, Serbia.
Text by Jacqueline Stojanović
“The much-pondered notion of whether life imitates art or art imitates life is manifested in Francesco Marchetti’s photography series The Art of Spectating. Undertaken at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, it presents the intimate moments of contemplation and at times uncanny physical relationship shared between the spectator and the spectacle within a gallery context. Described by the artist as an extension of street photography each shot is candid and represents the ordinary people, with no interaction made between the artist and his subjects. In the latter’s regard the images differ from traditional street portraits in which communication plays a key role in abstracting a captivating photograph, instead within the historical museum the observer plays a voyeuristic role in voyeurism itself, blurring the line between the audience and the artwork while creating something entirely new in the process.
The photographs reflect the passage of time between the creations of the master’s artwork displayed in the museum to the present day, where we see contemporary art viewers pondering the same subjects centuries later and at times imitating the masterpieces themselves. This mimicking of their bodies presents a visual linkage that continues to propel this project, posing the questions of mere coincidence or perhaps a deeper subconscious psychology that is adopted in the museum context. It makes one wonder again whether art imitates life or life imitates art.
In turning to the art viewers as his subjects Francesco subtly shifts a social hierarchy in viewing by bringing those on the sidelines, the viewers, to the forefront. The audience and their interactions within the gallery space become the focal point, and we as his audience are made further self conscious of our own position in viewing the artwork.”
Jacqueline Stojanović was born in Melbourne, Australia, where she studied Fine Art and graduated from Monash University and The Victorian College of The Arts. Currently based in Belgrade, Serbia, Jacqueline works on different personal and commissioned projects
Reviews:
Link to SerbianMonitor (www.serbianmonitor.com) in Italian
Link to SerbianMonitor (www.serbianmonitor.com) in English
This year is celebrating the 50th year of the Notting Hill Carnival.
As always, the largest street party in Europe is about people energy, odd characters, the beautiful costumes and choreography from the UK leading samba schools.
Bye bye and see you again next year!!!
Another year, another great Notting Hill Carnival…
The music, the ongoing street party, the energy, people from all races, class and age, the beautiful costumes and colours…
Bye bye and see you again next year!
Francesco