simon’s collection of 107 photographs showcases the artistry of portraiture in italian cinema

a hotel room is the quintessential ‘non-place’ — it is a space available to everyone but belonging to no one — existing merely as a fleeting, transitory crossroads for different lives that are born and grow elsewhere. this non-place has become the very space in which photographer simona flamigni, known as simon, has chosen for her photographic project presenting the artistry of portraiture. the rich set of images features 107 portraits encapsulating the history of contemporary italian cinema.

carolina crescentini

these portraits of actors are all bound together by a common theme that is the set itself. timeless hotel rooms form the backdrop of the portraits and lend a sense of intimacy to the space. ‘the sheer beauty of imperfection, that unique, unexpected moment, that oh-so-memorable and revealing lapse is what really interests me’, is how simon explains her project which has now been realized into a book of the same name. from room to room, different generations of actors, from luca agentero to ambra angiolini, from elena sofia ricci to claudio amendola, across 107 rooms, have opened themselves up to the scrutiny of simon’s lens.

eva riccobono

elena radonicich

pierfrancesco favino

neri marcoré

luca argentero

maria grazie cucinotta

giorgio pasotti

stefania rocca

the cinema italia book features simon’s collection of photographs

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.