Visions of Arcadia

Arcadia: a region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet, derived from the Greek province of the same name which dates to antiquity. The word Arcadia developed into the poetic byword for an idyllic vision of unspoiled wilderness, associated with bountiful natural splendour and harmony. The vision of Arcadia is one of a mythical land, an earthly paradise. It was the invention of ancient poets to conjure happiness within the landscape: the pastoral landscape populated by shepherds that embodied an ideal beauty and intimate closeness to nature.                                 

This project looks at the theme of Arcadia, encapsulated by the grand villas within the Veneto valley, and portrayed within the paintings & playful frescos that decorate their interiors. These lavish abodes, built to architectural plans that embodied harmony and referenced classical details, were also self-contained farms, an idyllic Italian vision but also a key part of the surrounding landscape. The Venetian Villa and the vision of Arcadia was linked to the origins of land management and economic development of the Veneto valley. 

Arcadia can now be perceived as a place of fantasy and longing, a place that attracts the tourist gaze, and the space it inhabits a densely populated region that epitomises urban sprawl and technological development but removes the landscape from a traditional idyll. The villas themselves, idyllic places to walk through, also embody themes of idealisation, colonisation and ruination.  

Visions of Arcadia is part of a MAP6 Collective Project: MAP6 Photography Collective