Rome – Las Vegas

The cities of Rome and Las Vegas commonly sit at opposite ends of what architecture represents: whereas the former capital of the Roman Empire is perceived as ancient, proper and eternal, Sin City is described as flashy, vulgar and fake. The photographs of Iwan Baan capture the atmosphere of both cities from the sky to the ground, revealing unexpected similarities and rediscovering Las Vegas’s extravaganza on the streets of Rome. They contrast and subvert common perceptions of authenticity and artificiality and ultimately question such bipolar distinctions.