Paris rue de Lancry, DiARiO

A playful and poignant series by Italian photographer Walter Boï, taken during the COVID-19 lockdown in his makeshift studio on rue de Lancry in Paris. This collection of 55 self-portraits invites you into a world where the boundaries between reality and performance dissolve, with Walter being both subject and observer. Without digital retouching, Walter plays with light and shadow to create magical, cinematic moments inspired by multiple artistic and literary influences. Each photograph is a puzzle full of visual puzzles and playful clues, in which the artist reflects on identity. The result is a visual diary depicting the experience of confinement, highlighting isolation, introspection and self-searching. Walter Boï explores the question “Who am I?” with humor and illusions, showing emotions ranging from frustration to bittersweet smiles. In each shot he transforms into various characters, evoking now a rock star, now faces from everyday life. In a time of global uncertainty, Walter's work becomes a catalyst for hope, inviting viewers to decide whether what they see is fiction or reality.