Just Say No to Landmarks

“Cities are points of reference to our personal histories,” says photographer Eduardo Blidner, whose show, City vs. City, opens at Icebox Gallery this month. “How would our own history have been if it had taken place in another city?” The exhibit, which includes photographs that serve as portals into the urban life of fourteen cities in South America, North America, and Europe, gives viewers the visual elbowroom to ponder such questions.

Indeed, how would life be different if you lived under the gaze of a towering saint pictured in one of Blidner’s street scenes from Brescia, Italy? Or near the steps of a church in Philadelphia? These questions may not be exactly what come to mind when paging through the glossy postcard portrayals that populate most travel magazines, but that’s the point. Blidner draws a line between his work and the travel photography genre.

Armchair travelers looking for iconic shots of  New York, Buenos Aires, Helsinki, or any of the other “great cities” represented will be disappointed. But those interested in the feel of those places—the way the light falls, the flow of city life—will feel right at home.

Catching glimpses of humans interacting with the urban environment keeps the images grounded in the present while leaving plenty of room to ponder all of the what ifs of geography and chance. “The city accumulates symbols of the past,” Blidner says. “In this accumulation is where its own identity is formed, accompanied by a repertoire of convincing characters of its own.” Opens Jan. 13. 1500 NE Jackson St., Mpls., 612-788-1790

Reach Stephanie Xenos at stephaniexenos@yahoo.com.