The exhibition “Thousand Faces of a City” explores photography as documentation of an era that is quickly fading. The faces of the people from Padua tell the story of a changing community through passport-style portraits.
The creator and curator Richard Khoury shares how the ArtFoto archive was saved thanks to his determination. Today, the project aims not only to reveal these photographic treasures but also to raise awareness about the preservation of the city’s historical archives.
The 240,000 negatives stored in the photographic archive of the ArtFoto – Tagliapietra studio are showcased in the exhibition, featuring an interactive installation of 1,000 portraits. Moreover, with a web app, visitors can explore the hidden faces within the negatives, rediscovering the stories of the depicted individuals.
The initiative invites the people of Padua to actively participate by bringing old photographs from the ArtFoto – Tagliapietra studio to identify those who remain anonymous today. A “notebook” of the “rediscovered” Paduans will be published at the end of the exhibition.
With over 240,000 negatives of portraits and ID photos, the ArtFoto – Tagliapietra studio has been a landmark for Padua families for over 60 years. The exhibition tells the story of a studio that, though not featured in the history books of photography, has had a significant impact on the daily lives of the city.
The exhibition also aims to open a debate on the future of photographic archives. It proposes the creation of a House of Photography, an institution that would care for analog photographic archives, preserving them for future generations.
Contacts and information
Galleria Cavour, Piazza Cavour
January 16 – March 15, 2026
Hours: Thursday 3:30 PM – 7:30 PM; Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10 AM – 1 PM and 3:30 PM – 7:30 PM, free admission