Anastasia Samoylova: Image Cities

Samoylova's photography explores the transformation of global cities through masterful refinements of urban clichés, challenging the triumph of consumerism and the numbing global visual-economic order. She invites us to reflect on the role of photography in creating a gap between cities' brand identity and their everyday reality.

Format: Hardback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 06 April 2023
Publisher: Hatje Cantz

Reinventing the Image of the Global Metropolis


Image Cities takes us on a captivating journey through cities that rank highest in terms of their degree of "global interconnectedness" according to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. These cities are in a state of transformation, concealed behind dummy façades that project a sense of heightened anticipation.


It would be tempting to interpret these photographs as a passionate critique against the triumph of consumerism and a gradually numbing global visual-economic order that envelops everything that once felt local and civic. Samoylova's photography is a testament to her mastery of urban photography clichés, including citizens dwarfed by giant images, faces and bodies refracted through glass, and the Pop-Cubism of visual bricolage. She also skillfully depicts minuscule human figures strolling seemingly indifferently through city spaces, while being partially somewhere else in their imaginations. These figures exist as a collage of places and times, reflecting the complex realities of urban life.


Yet, Samoylova goes beyond simply engaging with clichés. She takes them apart and reassembles them, daring to elevate them to a level of pictorial sophistication that surpasses simple arguments or statements. Instead, she invites us to contemplate the role of photography in creating a gap between these cities' brand identities and their everyday realities. Through her lens, we are presented with a visual narrative that challenges our perceptions and encourages us to reflect on the complex interplay between urbanization, globalization, and the human experience.


Image Cities serves as a powerful reminder that cities are not merely physical spaces but dynamic entities that are constantly evolving and adapting to the ever-changing world around them. It encourages us to look beyond the surface and explore the deeper layers of meaning and identity that shape these urban landscapes. By doing so, we can gain a deeper understanding of the world and our place within it.

Weight: 1142g
Dimension: 248 x 308 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783775754804