Varanasi

 

Varanasi

善良战胜邪恶,内在之光保护我们远离精神黑暗:这是印度传统的秋季节日,Diwali。

Cities  enter  you  through  the  senses.  Sometimes  you  are  dazzled  by  the  beauty  of  what  you  see.  At  other  times,  the  deafening  noise  of  rush  hour  traffic  wakes  you  up  like  a  slap  on  the  face. 

The victory of good over evil, the inner light that protects us from spiritual darkness: that's the traditional autumnal Indian holiday, Diwali. For the occasion, Visionnaire participates to this celebration of life through its photography exhibition, Varanasi, a solo show by Paolo Balboni entirely dedicated to the holiest Hindu city.

“Cities  enter  you  through  the  senses.  Sometimes  you  are  dazzled  by  the  beauty  of  what  you  see.  At  other  times,  the  deafening  noise  of  rush  hour  traffic  wakes  you  up  like  a  slap  on  the  face.  Or  the  strong  smells  of  a  market  at  dawn  sting  your  nostrils,  guiding  you  through  a  cluttered  sea  of  stalls.  There  are  other  things  that  you  touch,  like  a  wall  that  conceals  centuries  of  histories  in  its  cracks  or  a  polished  floor  where  wealthy  women  have  danced. 

Varanasi - Paolo Balboni. Visionnaire Wunderkammer

Varanasi  is  all  of  this.  Varanasi  takes  your  senses  and  turns  them  into  sponges,  sponges  that  come  out  soaked  with  life  until  you  believe  that  the  rest  of  the  world  is  just  a  breath,  while  the  city  is  a  cry.  
Varanasi  is  the  centre  of  Hinduism,  the  very  essence  of  India.  
One  million  pilgrims  visit  each  year  and  it  is  believed  that  anyone  who  dies  in  the  area  around  Panch  Koshi  Road,  a  road  north  of  the  Varuna  River,  will  pass  directly  to  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  freeing  themselves  from  the  cycle  of  rebirths. 
The  whole  life  of  the  city  seems  to  flow  with  the  same  calm  constancy  of  the  river  that  crosses  it.  Along  the  steps  of  the  Ghats,  life  and  death  coincide,  together  with  poverty,  wealth  and  infinite  spirituality. 
People  come  here  to  pray  and  rest,  to  live  and  die  at  the  same  time,  day  after  day.
The  river  is  always  present  in  the  images  taken  by  Balboni,  even  when  it  does  not  appear. 
You  can  sense  it  in  the  deep  looks  of  certain  elderly  women.  
You  can  sense  it  in  children’s  smiles  and  in  the  unkempt  beards  of  ascetics.
You  can  sense  it  in  priests’  deep  wrinkles  and  beggars’  hands.
The  river  is  always  present,  between  life  and  death,  in  Varanasi.“

Corrado Peli

Varanasi - Paolo Balboni. Visionnaire Wunderkammer
Varanasi - Paolo Balboni. Visionnaire Wunderkammer
Varanasi - Paolo Balboni. Visionnaire Wunderkammer
Varanasi - Paolo Balboni. Visionnaire Wunderkammer
Varanasi - Paolo Balboni. Visionnaire Wunderkammer
Varanasi - Paolo Balboni. Visionnaire Wunderkammer
Varanasi - Paolo Balboni. Visionnaire Wunderkammer

Artist

Paolo Balboni

Paolo Balboni (Bologna 1974), self-made photographer, free in its expression and images, represents the real artist, the one that waits for true inspiration to come, without forcing it.
Thanks to his continuous synergy with the camera, his photographies are born from pure causality, not only of the shutter click but also of the careful observation of places and people surrounding him. By doing so, the picture becomes a movement, indistinct contours, vivid colors, creative and bizarre details.
It seems like the people he captures, tangible witnesses of their history and culture, transform themselves in the story each of us wants to listen.

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