|
Began in June 2010 as a tribute and radical extension of Andy Warhol’s Empire, Empire has, for over thirteen years, explored the dialogue between the physicality of a symbolic piece of architecture and the constant evolution of the media landscape. At regular 15-minute intervals, a static camera captured Mediaset’s tower, simultaneously documenting its TV broadcasts and newspaper covers. This artistic project underscores how the world of media coexists with the tangible realm: a continuous flow of content that accompanies the passage of time, the shifting of light and seasons, intertwining the tower’s concrete presence with the narrative it conveys. The passing of the group’s founder, Silvio Berlusconi, in 2023 marked the symbolic end of real-time updates, yet the archive endures as testimony to a model of mass communication now undergoing profound transformation. At the same time, Empire expands the traditional concept of photography: it is not only the capture of a physical subject, but also a snapshot of ever-evolving media, such as TV programs and newspaper covers. Photographing the screen thus becomes a way to preserve ephemeral moments that would otherwise disappear, providing a tangible record of what was broadcast at a specific point in time. The website remains accessible as proof of a long-running experiment and as an invitation to reflect on how the media shapes both history and collective perception. The entire photographic archive is available in high resolution for those interested in exploring its exhibition potential or developing new interpretations of this journey. |
|