Time July 8, 2019WORLD
Catching the
Roman light
everyone knows ThaT rome is
the Eternal City—the passage of
time palpable at every turn within its
labyrinthine streets. But time seizes
the city most immediately on the
summer solstice, when the iconic
Pantheon—named for “every god”—is
transformed by the sun. On June 21, the
sun perfectly aligns with the roof ’s ocu-
lus and illuminates the whole space. For
the past six years, Elizabeth Bick has em-
barked on “Every God,” a photographic
exploration documenting visitors to the
Pantheon at this annual moment. Bick
calls the project a “celebration of
humanity and their performance.”
Her remarkable series of photographscalls to mind a complicated dance en-
acted by a host of visitors who find them-
selves spontaneously bathed in light and
shadow. “It is one part endurance piece,
and one part preoccupation with an
evolving visitor response to the space,”
she says. Just as the light from above in-
tensifies at this time of year, so does the
influx of visitors. Bick stands in the dark
shadows, poised for the perfect moment.
—elizabeTh GeoGheGanLightBox