Siren City

Siren is a collection of black-and-white photographs taken by Johnnie Shand Kydd between 2000-2008 of Naples, seductively known as the Siren City. Though located in one of the most sublime settings in the world, it’s still a city that has been at worst abused and at best neglected over the years that followed the unification of Italy in 1860. There is much of beauty and Shand Kydd undoubtedly captures the light, vivacity and carnality of Naples as well as the darker side and paganism so inherent here. Every street and piazza is a stage. Soldiers strike a pose and old ladies reach for their fans with an odd mixture of pride and innocence. His photographs retain that 19th century whiff of the magical. It would be easy to paint too bleak an image of Naples but he captures much hilarity, expressing a unique coupling of grief and humour. The book is edited by Mark Holborn.