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The Globalisation and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) established by the Geography Department at the University of Loughborough in 1998 ranks cities according “global interconnectedness.” The term, according to the Rochester Institute of Technology refers to the ability to “function in an increasingly multicultural, international, yet interconnected environment.” In the GaWC’s 2022 survey, New York and London were found to hold the “Alpha+” rating, followed by Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore.
Russian-born, American artist Anastasia Samoylova (b. 1984) is interested in rhythms of metropolises. In her latest monograph, Image Cities, published by Hatje Cantz, 17 cities are photographed from a “critical and aesthetic” perspective, in particular focusing on the proliferation of images in urban areas. This level of consumerism dictates much of modern life – in 2022, Forbes reported that on average, people are exposed to between 6,000 and 10,000 advertisements a day. Samoylova captures the constant barrage of content – creating photographs that depict lifestyle, real estate and fashion campaigns on a monumental scale. In the artist’s work, global brands overtake historic sites – gleaming posters of smartphones wrap Parisian opera houses whilst glossy jewellery shop windows reflect towering Soho apartment blocks.
