Urban exploration. Attilio Frignati

Through his photography, Attilio Frignati addresses abandoned buildings, photographing the most hidden and unknown corners of northern Italy. The manor houses, the churches, the deserted farmsteads become timeless settings, as if everything were waiting for the tread of new feet between their walls.
These places are the destinations for the increasingly common trend of urban exploration (urbex), which combines the thrill of risk with the passion for exploration and photography. Indeed, to take his photos, Frignati entered into dangerous, dilapidated buildings, often located in isolated, hidden spots.  
What makes this type of reportage special, explains Frignati, is the idea of getting into a close, intimate and exclusive relationship with the place you're exploring. A private tour that only the most daring can enjoy, who follow in the footsteps of the former inhabitants. You might come up against a dusty old staircase that reminds you of all the comings and goings in the house, or when you find a piano with a few keys missing it's not hard to imagine the music it made. The fine frescoed rooms chosen by Frignati in his photos take you back in time, to when their colours still vibrated. 
The photographer's eye also moves towards large churches and small votive chapels, here the years have taken away their splendour, but haven't impacted on the architectural fineness of the decorations, the columns, the vaults. Frignati is not insensitive to their visual beauty and brings out their best in wide frames, in order get the whole as well as the details that make it up. The final touch lies in the tones used in post-production: the pictures are all low saturation, helping to underscore the decadence of these neglected places that the world has left behind. 
The decision to explore and photograph architecture of this kind draws our attention to the theme of abandonment in Italy, transporting each one of us to the locations, so we can almost feel the humidity and smell the dust. For a few minutes, we too become explorers, immersed in the fragility and charm that young photographer Attilio Frignati has skilfully grasped in each of his photographs.

Barbara Esposito

Sito: www.flickr.com/photos/attiliofrignati/