‘Venezia Vuota’ - Brian’s latest zine

Brian’s latest zine, ‘Venezia Vuota’ (‘Empty Venice’), is a snapshot of the city in a rare state of tranquility and emptiness.

The corona virus pandemic hit northern Italy hard – and the Veneto region, which includes Venice, was one of the hardest hit. I was working in Venice in February 2020 when I first noticed that something was happening. People were beginning to look worried; masks were being worn in public; people were keeping their distance from each other. Towards the end of the month, just as Carnevale was in full swing, local news channels were reporting panic as a wave of infections was starting to sweep across the region.

Within a month or so, shops, restaurants, schools, galleries and public buildings across the city closed their doors. The water in the canals, without the wash and the constant churning of water from the boats, became crystal clear and there were even reports of sightings of dolphins (which was perhaps apocryphal in hindsight).

With Venetians being restricted to their immediate neighbourhood, they felt as though they had travelled back in time. One person said: “It suddenly became clear that we actually have everything we need here, even without tourists”. Life went on, but in a very different way.

Locals were saying that this ‘clear out’ of tourists was needed (less vocal were, presumably, the Venetians who owned the shops, bars and restaurants which depend on tourists for their livelihoods). At pre-pandemic levels Venice was averaging 12 million overnight tourists per year, with twice as many day trippers. It was a city at breaking point, on the brink of collapse. Almost overnight, the city had transported itself back in time by several decades.

Eighteen months later, tourists are returning to Venice, but in dramatically reduced numbers and nationalities. There are few American accents to be heard, almost no Chinese or English voices and, instead, the mellifluous sounds of the Italian and Venetian languages carry across the quiet streets.

Venice now feels more relaxed. The waters are still, the campi tranquil, the queues short or non-existent. Venice seems to have what it wants - but at what cost for the local economy?

The images for this project were shot in mid-October 2021 when the weather was sunny and warm. During the week, the city was almost empty, with weekends resembling weekdays in pre-pandemic times.

You can buy the zine directly from Brian here.