Hylonicum

Light and its residues, by Nicola Polloni

Spatial Forms

Structures

Façades, gates, theatres, factories, towers, walls: the places where form claims duration. Every structure gathers human intentions into visible order, and every structure outlives them – symmetry loosens, functions change, ornaments survive their causes. Photographed across two decades, these buildings are witnesses to uses they can no longer fully explain. I look for the point where the explanation fails.

Ornate stone façade with central arched portal, decorated windows, lamps, and a passage visible through the entrance.
Monumental Beijing building with columns, broad steps, white barriers, and small figures in the foreground.
Low modern theatre or cinema building marked “Kosmos”, with glass entrance and paved square.
Civic building with broad façade, fountain, heavy clouds, and open square in front.
Catania square with ornate historic façades, central fountain, pedestrians, and balconies.
Urban square enclosed by tall residential façades, balconies, shopfronts, and open paving.
Row of brick townhouses with doors, windows, shutters, steps, and bicycles along the pavement.
Building façade with arched doors, balconies, bicycle, plants, and strong sunlight.
Worn façade with mismatched doors, barred windows, utility boxes, bench, and plants.
Ornate baroque doorway with carved wooden double doors, columns, and decorative stonework.
Small beach building covered with graphic mural and fencing, with sea visible behind it.
Large seaside house with balconies, arches, fences, and strong frontal light.
Weathered seafront building with central door, barred windows, bench, and worn plaster.
Old two-storey house with peeling façade, balconies, shutters, and surrounding buildings.
Rail and road infrastructure with bridges, elevated tracks, industrial supports, and open ground below.
Graffiti-covered circular concrete structure with ramps and curved walls in an urban setting.
Tall urban façades seen from below, with a public sculpture or anchor-like form in the foreground.
Tall urban façades in Chicago seen from below, with a public sculpture or anchor-like form in the foreground.
Modern apartment block with repeated balconies, windows, railings, and strong geometric shadows.
Long building façade with repeated windows, doors, basement openings, and an empty street.
Courtyard framed by walls, with large “OFF” sign on a brick building and a tower behind it.
Industrial brewery structure with Budvar sign, storage tanks, pipes, and freight wagons.
Wide industrial entrance with signs, dark opening, brickwork, and loading area.
Small lighthouse structure standing at the end of a pier with sea and clouds behind it.
Stone-framed view into a church courtyard, with plants, doorway, and sunlight beyond the threshold.
Simple church façade with bell tower, arched portal, small circular window, and people sitting nearby.
Elaborate Gothic civic building with tower, clock, arches, statues, and fountain in the foreground.
Low angular glass structure beside a paved area, with bicycles, signs, and transport infrastructure in the background.

Places and dates
Chicago, 2015; Georgetown, 2017; Pamplona, 2018; Berlin and Newcastle, 2019; Naples, 2020; Geraardsbergen and Nitra, 2021–2022; Beijing, Leuven, and Tel Aviv, 2023; Łódź, 2024; Catania, Itala, Istanbul, Novara di Sicilia, and Tokyo, 2025; České Budějovice, Lecce, Mondello, Prague, Scilla, and Taormina, 2026.