Christopher Köller, Colonia Marina Rosa Maltoni Mussolini, Beach view, 112 x 135 cm

Christopher Köller began exploring a new subject with his Diana plastic camera in 2017. An abiding interest in the architecture of Fascist Italy led him to begin photographing the regime’s repurposed, deserted and wrecked ‘colonie’ (holiday camps). While an accident cut short Köller’s work on the project and Covid extended the break, in 2023 he returned to Italy to complete the series.

While new uses have been found for some colonie, others including the monumental Colonie Marina Costanzo Ciano di Varese (1938) and delle Montecatini (1939) at Milano Marritima have descended into ruinous condition as they await demolition. Their destruction is amplified by the effects of Köller’s plastic camera as it leaks light, imprinting symbols and numbers from the backing paper onto the film and wreathing subjects in shadow. The Diana’s faults imbue the colonie with a sense of foreboding, alluding to their origins in a totalitarian system of government.

Opening event: Saturday 1 February 2025