Italy’s South Tyrol province, which borders Switzerland and Austria in the Alps and is home to some of Central Europe’s most dramatic mountains, lives up to its geographic position as a borderland. Italy annexed the region in 1919 following World War I, prior to which it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many people are German-speaking, and in many ways, their cultural traditions and ancestry lean traditionally toward Austria more than Italy.
During World War II, the Fascist Italian regime constructed a series of fortifications along the country’s northernmost border, which the military controlled until 1993. For Vincenzo Pagliuca, these purpose-built structures spurred an intrepid yet pensive body of work called Bunker, published in hardcover by Hartmann Books.

Many of the bunkers are freestanding concrete masses with distinctive domed shapes and thick walls. Others take advantage of the ancient pre-existing stone, sometimes carving directly into mountainsides and augmenting with extra barriers. Over the years, grasses have colonized the roofs, shrubs have grown close, and some of the exteriors, which were designed to camouflage against the slopes like exposed rock, have a surreal, almost Gaudí-esque character.
Pagliuca has long been fascinated by the architecture of northern Italy, such as in his project Mónos, which highlights the often quirky vernacular of diminutive Apennine homes. For Bunker, he was interested in the relationship of these specific structures to their rarefied and remote locations, their solidity and often hulking presence at odds with the surrounding Alpine meadows and soaring, snow-capped peaks.
These human interventions, depicted without the presence of people, are a permanent reminder of the drastic measures that political and military forces will go in the name of nationalism. “The bunkers represent a difficult legacy, recalling a dramatic historical period in Central Europe marked by nationalist ideology and the inability to resolve conflicts through peaceful means—an era we thought had long since passed,” says a statement from the publisher.
Grab a copy of your own from the publisher’s shop. See more on the artist’s Instagram.








Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article South Tyrol’s Bunkers Shoulder WWII History in Vincenzo Pagliuca’s Portraits appeared first on Colossal.

Niet alle fatbikers maar wel vaak fatbikers! De benaliër op de foto hierboven peddelde op 20 juli met zijn mietenfiets door de poortjes van station Hoorn, kreeg het met zijn vieze vriendjes aan de stok met 'een jongen en een jonge vrouw' en ramde de vrouw met een brommerslot op haar kop. Ook de jongen raakte gewond. Deze hyperagressieve krullenkneus kreeg de kans zich te melden, maar deed dat niet en mag nu herkenbaar in beeld. Signalement: licht getinte huidskleur, 16-23 jaar oud, circa 1.70m, smerige krullen, grijskleurig trainingspak. MAURITS! MELDEN!
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De man zou aanvankelijk woensdag worden voorgeleid aan de raadkamer van de rechtbank in Arnhem, maar het OM bracht hem uiteindelijk niet voor. Uit de voorlopige onderzoeksresultaten blijkt volgens het OM dat hij aantoonbaar niet op een plaats delict is geweest. Ook had hij geen vuurwapen bij zich. Verder onderzoek heeft volgens het OM onvoldoende aanwijzingen opgeleverd voor zijn betrokkenheid bij het incident.
De vijf andere verdachten die woensdag voor de raadkamer verschenen, blijven langer vastzitten. Vier van hen blijven negentig dagen langer vast en een vijfde verdachte dertig dagen langer, maakte de rechtbank donderdag bekend.
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The Star Wars Archives. 1977-1983. From Taschen. Looks fantastic.