Italian artist Paolo Ventura has been selected to create an exclusive new work for Photo Days 2025, presenting his series "Promenades de nuit" (Night Walks) at the historic Rotonde Balzac in Paris. Since 2020, Photo Days has annually given carte blanche to a featured artist to create original works specifically for this intimate and historic venue, and Ventura's installation marks the latest in this prestigious series.
Ventura's new photographic series draws inspiration from the life and work of celebrated French novelist Honoré de Balzac, reimagining the author's nocturnal wanderings through Paris. The artist's work creates a delicate dialogue between fiction, memory, and architecture, presenting scenes that are both dreamlike and fantastical. True to his distinctive method, Ventura begins each project by writing stories, which then inform his visual creations.
The "Promenades de nuit" series presents a melancholic and timeless vision of Paris, featuring deserted alleyways and shadowy figures glimpsed beneath streetlights. Ventura's images exist in a space between dream and reality, evoking a city permeated by solitude, nostalgia, and mystery. These atmospheric scenes resonate deeply with Balzac's own literary imagination, which was similarly populated by secret figures, complex lives, and narratives rendered in chiaroscuro.
The exhibition takes place within the walls of the Rotonde Balzac, a classified architectural gem located in the gardens of the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild. This preserved space was originally conceived as a tribute to literature and has been opened to contemporary artistic creation by the Fondation des Artistes. Within this unique setting, the architectural space becomes a stage, and photography transforms into a visual novel.
The Rotonde Balzac itself carries significant historical weight, having been constructed by Baroness Adèle de Rothschild specifically to honor the memory of the great writer. Following the baroness's final wishes, the rotunda has been preserved intact, maintaining its original 19th-century character. The interior features exquisite Chinese-style wood paneling and Japanese silk tapestries embroidered in Kyoto during the 19th century, creating a rich and intimate period setting.
After undergoing complete restoration in 2020, the Rotunde Balzac opened its doors to the public for the first time. This collaboration between Photo Days and the Fondation des Artistes has created a unique opportunity for visitors to experience contemporary photographic works within an exceptional historical framework. Each commissioned artist receives complete creative freedom to develop works specifically designed for this singular environment.
The Paolo Ventura exhibition "Promenades de nuit" runs from November 5 through November 29, 2025. The Rotonde Balzac is located within the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild at 11 rue Berryer in Paris's 8th arrondissement. Access to the exhibition is by appointment only, with viewing hours available Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 12 PM and 2 PM to 6 PM. Additional information and booking details are available through the Photo Days website.
