ROBERT POLIDORI: HAVANA

No one tells the story of Havana's remarkable architectural legacy with greater power than internationally acclaimed photographer Robert Polidori-whose extraordinary, large-format images provide glimpses of a world where layers of peeling paint reveal layers of time. In the first solo museum exhibition of his photographs, Polidori shows us how Havana's past inhabits the present through the city's extraordinary architecture. Polidori first visited Havana in 1997 while on assignment as staff photographer for The New Yorker. He began exploring the city's dynamic architecture-from the elegant colonial to the exuberant Modern, which appeared arrested in time, reflecting years of economic and political turmoil. He returned four more times, continuing his study of the astonishing range and scale of Havana's buildings. The results are a remarkable interpretation of the city's magnificent architectural legacy. Polidori refers to himself as a "habitat photographer" rather than an architectural photographer. His images of Havana's buildings reveal a complex history of a sophisticated, vibrant culture and its expression through art. The fragile state of the city's architecture is brought to light, as is the enduring spirit of its residents. Polidori boldly presents his subjects without apology for their condition a departure from most commissioned architectural photography, which aims to present buildings as beautiful, even glamorous, objects. These powerful, highly personalized images invite us to look beyond the formal surfaces of great buildings to the inhabitants who invest them with life and meaning.

This stunning book, the large format and fine printing of which, gives proper due to the photographer's work, the details and rich complexity.