Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s

Categories: Europe | Photo project |

Every summer of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, the tourist resort of Rimini was the most Italian place in the world. Then there was no banking crisis, or even the euro. Silvio Berlusconi and his bikini-clad TV hosts reigned supreme on his commercial TV channels. Club party-goers flooded the legendary Cocoricò Club. And the funeral of director Federico Fellini was a matter of national importance.

In 1983, a cafe of the first Italian fast food chain Italy&Italy opened in the city. It has become a symbol of the cultural changes that the country has experienced in a relatively short time. The success of the institution did not go unnoticed: a few years later, McDonald's bought out Italy&Italy and converted all the branches into its restaurants.

Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s
Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s

Pasquale Bove, a photojournalist from Rimini, has been documenting the crazy summer seasons at this resort for many years. Photographer Luca Santese went through the Beauvais archive, consisting of more than 200 thousand frames, and selected several that were included in the book Italy&Italy, published in 2016. This is a collection of euphoric images of city fairs, having fun TV starlets who will later go into politics, and partially naked people who are trying to make the most of their summer.

Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s

A girl poses in front of a police van.

Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s

Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s

The results of the police search.

Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s

Competition of the best buttocks in one of the clubs.

Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s

Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s

Actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta enjoys a portion of Italian gelato ice cream.

Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s

The funeral of director Federico Fellini in 1993.

Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s

Club-goer in Rimini.

Weapons, fast food and pop contests: "decaying" Italy of the 80‑90s

City fair.

Keywords: Italy | Europe | Photographer | Retro | 80s | Atmosphere | 90s | Photo project | Reportage

     

source