Napoli Archives No.0474 — A new chapter in the NSD51/50 editions
With the release of Napoli, a new volume joins the growing Archives collection — a series of collectible books each named after a city and conceived as a fragment of a larger photographic testimony. Through this ongoing editorial project, Naples becomes not just a location, but a narrative ground where history, identity, and daily survival intersect.
The Archives series is built on a simple yet demanding principle: to approach each city without embellishment, allowing its textures, tensions, and human presence to speak for themselves. In Napoli, the images unfold in raw and powerful black and white, a deliberate choice that strips away distraction and emphasizes structure, contrast, and emotion. The result is a visual language that feels immediate and unfiltered, echoing the density and complexity of life in the streets.
This monograph immerses the viewer in environments shaped by resilience and contradiction. Narrow alleyways, marked walls, improvised spaces, and intimate encounters form a portrait of urban existence far removed from postcard imagery. Rather than seeking spectacle, the photographs remain grounded in observation, revealing the social and economic realities that define many neighborhoods while maintaining a profound respect for the individuals who inhabit them.
A significant thread within the book is its focus on the tattoo community — a network of artists, clients, and cultural practitioners whose work is embedded in the fabric of the city. Tattooing here is not treated as trend or ornament, but as a lived expression of identity, memory, and belonging. Studios become meeting points, and bodies become archives themselves, carrying personal and collective histories etched in ink.
Through sequencing and pacing, Napoli invites a slow reading. Each image builds upon the previous one, constructing an atmosphere that is both documentary and deeply human. This immersive approach aligns with the broader intent of the Archives collection: to create books that function not merely as catalogues of photographs, but as experiential objects — visual records that preserve the cultural and emotional landscapes of urban environments.
By focusing on the grit, dignity, and complexity of these communities, Napoli aims to expand how cities are represented. It moves beyond familiar narratives to highlight the layered realities that shape everyday life, offering a perspective rooted in proximity rather than distance. As part of the Archives series, the book contributes to a long-term effort to document cities through lived experience, building a constellation of places connected by a shared commitment to truth, presence, and material memory.
In this way, Napoli is both a standalone work and a continuation — another chapter in an evolving archive dedicated to revealing the history and culture of urban spaces beyond their typical depictions.
Size : 13 × 20 cm (5.12 × 7.84 in.)
Hard-cover silk matt
Paper silk-matt 105 gsm
140 pages
Language : english
Printed in USA
The first printing was published in 2025.
ISBN : 9798295076169
