CHIESE

A PORTFOLIO CURATED BY ANTICÀMERA

WORDS BY CARLOTTA BUOSI

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEFAN GIFTTHALER

Churches are often thought of as an entity whose appearance is unconsciously generalised. Sure, most of us are aware of the various epochs and architectural currents most European - but not only European - religious buildings owe their structure and decor to. But there's someone out there who thinks this topic is still worth discussing. 

Someone who believes it's still worth to ask questions such as how do churches look today? But also, how does architecture look like today? 

Chiese is a photographic portfolio shot by Stefan Giftthaler and portraying churches in the Italian City of Milan and its surroundings. 

In collaboration with journalist and writer Annalisa Rosso, Giftthaler used his art - photography - to reflect on this complicated and sometimes underestimated branch of architecture, reflecting on its peculiar elements and rich diversity.

Historically thought of as the carrier of multiple meanings - such as matters of power, culture and sometimes even politics -  churches have evolved into structures whose aesthetic and functionality goes beyond the sole purpose they were designed for. 

In Milan - city with an unprecedented number of parishes, over 100 forming one of the largest dioceses in the world - renewed designers for the likes of Gio Ponti and Cino Zucchini are eager to experiment with the formal languages of these buildings of representative function, challenging their aesthetic and technical codes.

Starting from the center of Milan, all the way to Varese, this unique photographic portfolio created by Giftthaler and curated by Anticàmera agency aims to rediscover this much loved and much hated architectures, in most cases a focal point of reference in the every-day lives of the communities they are built within.