Photographer Gigi Cifali's haunting images of empty pools

Photographer Gigi Cifali’s Absence of Water comprises haunting impressions of the UK’s empty pools and lidos. Pictured: Chadderton Baths, Oldham

(Image credit: Gigi Cifali)

By Daniel Scheffler

last updated 20 October 2022

in Features

Born in Naples, the topographically-trained photographer Gigi Cifali is now based in London. His latest work, entitled Absence of Water, chronicles the period 2006–2014 via UK baths, lidos and pools. The work, a rumination of where we spend our time, brings moments of optimism and happiness to mind but still offers that solemnness of nothingness and ‘nowhereness’ so poignant of our times.

'They were places in vogue, fundamental for the life til the thirties of 20th Century [sic],' explains Cifali in his artist statement. 'Gradually, living conditions and tastes have changed, resulting in a drop of attendances, leaving the public pools uneconomical to run. Symbols of civic and architectural pride in Victorian times, today only a handful of them remain as a representation of bygone era.'

And so the series gives the viewer a moment to reflect on water – what it means in daily life, what it gives us as a society and its inexplicable function of wealth. The artist says: 'Water determines the wealth, it is indispensable to live and its lack inexorably leads to ruin, exactly as what happened to these pools'.

'These architectures, through their charm, show us the time irreversible action, the ruin, the sense of emptiness that surrounds and fills them,' Cifali continues. 'Yet they are testimony and memory of a not too far age, when they were places full of voices and laughter and the beating heart of life'.

House with patio — Born in Naples, Cifali is now based in London.

Cifali states, ’They were places in vogue, fundamental for the life til the thirties of XX Century [sic]. Gradually, living conditions and tastes have changed, resulting in a drop of attendances, leaving the public pools uneconomical to run.’

Pool — The artist continues, ’Symbols of civic and architectural pride in Victorian times, today only a handful of the pools remain as a representation of bygone era.

Empty pool — *Moseley Baths, Birmingham*

pool with Green algae — *Harpurhey Baths, Manchester*

INFORMATION
Photography courtesy the artist

Daniel Scheffler is a storyteller for The New York Times and others. He has a travel podcast with iHeart Media called Everywhere and a Substack newsletter, Withoutmaps, where he shares all his wild ways. He lives in New York with his husband and their pup.