Gladiatori Moderni

Bodies, sweat, the direct gaze; strength, courage, doubt; the visual and emotional alphabet of Piero Pompili's work is characterized by intensely striking images. For 15 years, the artist photographed with passion the world of boxing, which he frequented in Rome and Naples, in the gyms of the borgata, and in the catacombs where even the ancient gladiators prepared for their fights. The source of this fascination was a childhood spent in the Borghesiana (a local community in Rome), where he was born in 1967. The boxers were part of the landscape, and Pompili developed a deep attachment to these epic heroes who fought every day in his city. Gladiatori is an homage to this stunning photographer.