Three Shots in Franco Summa’s Studio

Franco Summa (1938-2020) was an Italian architect and artist born in Pescara, Italy, where he realised most of his artistic vision. Summa’s works have been showcased in two Biennale di Venezia (1976 and 1978) and many other locations, in Italy and abroad, and are now preserved by a foundation in his name, based in his studio —now officially acknowledged by the Ministry of culture as a Casa-Museo (Home-Museum)— where I shot these photos.

He aimed to explore the relationship between humans and urban space, a concept that was realised in a series of temporary installations such as la “Porta del mare” (The Sea Door) and “Monumenti urbani” (Urban Monuments), of which this photo captures a peculiar reproduction, that has become a work in itself.

One of Summa’s most iconic works is Le fanciulle d’Abruzzo (Abruzzo’s Young Ladies), a series of twelve monumental statues which depict an idealised image of young women from the Abruzzo region wearing traditional clothing. They have also been reproduced in a smaller size, and are on display at the Foundation’s premises.

Although it may looks deliberate, the work captured by this next photo is not made by Summa as it actually doesn’t exist. In fact, the photo frames the reflection of two paintings located in front of a small mirror and the result can only be seen looking into the mirror from a specific angle. Thus, the obvious challenge was finding a point of view that would allow the reflection of the paintings to be framed without the photographer appearing in the image. The composition is not perfect because I would have preferred to frame the paintings dead centre of the oval mirror, however, no matter how hard I tried, this was the only angle from which I could shoot without appearing in the photo.

Since the museum is not far from the Pescara Airport, if you have a few hours to spare while waiting for a connecting flight, Summa’s studio is definitely worth a visit.