Hylonicum

Light and its residues, by Nicola Polloni

Spatial Forms

Passages

Streets, alleys, tunnels, bridges, stairs: spaces that think in lines. From Fez to Chicago, these are the architectures that draw the body forward before any destination is decided. I photograph them at the moment their pull becomes visible – a turn half-taken, a shadow granting narrow permission. Ordinary life passes through and leaves its residue; the passage remains.

Narrow urban alley between tall brick buildings, with fire escapes, windows, and a small figure in the distance.
Curving street in Córdoba with white façades, balconies, church tower, and strong sunlight.
Wet cobbled street in Brussels curving between historic buildings and bollards.
Narrow service alley between brick buildings, with bins, vents, pipes, and worn pavement.
Covered market passage with arched metal roof, stalls, pedestrians, and light filtering through the structure.
Abandoned covered passage with ornate metal canopy, old façades, weeds, and an archway at the far end.
Low industrial corridor with pipes, cables, wet paving stones, and white walls.
Long covered walkway with repeated metal arches, railings, and a vanishing point.
Industrial passage with rails, pipes, beams, and metal frames receding into the distance.
Tram passing through an arched tunnel with tracks, graffiti, and curved walls.
Covered urban walkway beside a road, with railings, gridded windows, and a small figure in the distance.
Framed passage beneath a low ceiling, leading to steps, plants, and bright light beyond.
Stone alley with steps, pipes, plants, doors, and rough walls in an old city.
Old stone stairway rising between buildings, with bicycle, railings, balconies, and potted plants.
Rough stone interior passage with arched openings, stairway, and light entering from above.
Open wooden doorway framing sea, sky, distant coast, and a terrace beyond the threshold.
Wet stone pier curving into the sea, with railings, lighthouse, and figures near the end.
Long pedestrian bridge over water, with railings, city buildings, and a lone figure beneath a cloudy sky.
Broad modern bridge or raised walkway with low walls, benches, trees, and small figures in the distance.
Riverside walkway with railings, water, historic buildings, and a distant church spire.
Curving stone channel or passage between worn buildings, with walls, stairs, and exposed masonry.
Curving modern colonnade with repeated rectangular openings, stone surfaces, and strong shadows.
Stepped street and stairway between white buildings on a hill.
Narrow approach to Tokyo Tower, framed by trees and a wall covered with inscribed panels.
Quiet cobbled street in Prague between pale buildings, with two distant figures walking away.
Narrow stone street with patterned paving, balconies, doors, and bright sunlight.
Steep residential street descending between houses towards a distant view beneath a clouded sky.

Places and dates
Fez, 2010; Rabat, 2011; Newcastle, 2016; Manchester and San Antonio, 2017; Chicago, 2018; Córdoba and Newcastle, 2019; Brussels and Dinant, 2020; Geraardsbergen and Stockholm, 2021; Alcamo and Liège, 2022; Acre, 2023; Messina and Milazzo 2024; Calascibetta, Novara di Sicilia, and Tokyo, 2025; České Budějovice, Lecce, and Prague, 2026.