Andrea Botto, a photographer and visual artist specializing in large works, uses his shots to describe the stages involved in the demolition of the old Ponte Morandi and the construction of the new infrastructure designed by Renzo Piano. His lens follows each phase of the undertaking with technical expertise and attention to the composition of the image, in a skilful combination of documentary reportage and aesthetic research. Botto has been working for RINA Consulting, the Italian agency supervising both the demolition and the construction of the new bridge, which is set to become a new landmark in Genoa, having been designed by Renzo Piano, one of the most renowned architects in the world. RINA Consulting was selected by the commissioning authority to carry out project management, supervision, quality control, and safety coordination during the execution phase of the project.

"Botto's photos are a wide assortment, from panoramic views down to minute details, some of them a bit poetic or strange: red marks on concrete made by a pile of rusty nails; a half-eaten sandwich next to some construction equipment; a tarp sitting in a pile on a concrete slab. Most of the photos fit somewhere between these poles, revealing how the bridge was erected into its final form over the course of many 24-hour days, all somehow in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the most powerful images, near the end, is the "garden of memory," where 43 trees are arranged in a circle near the point of the collapse. It is a reminder of how the people of Genoa, especially those involved on this project, will never forget August 14, 2018." —ARCHIDOSE

Andrea Botto is an Italian fine-art photographer and lecturer. His projects have been acknowledged by grants and awards and have been exhibited in international museums. His works can be found in private and public collections. He carries out and manages editorial and corporate projects, specializing in decommissioning and infrastructure projects.