Born in 2020 during the global pandemic, Flâneur at work emerged as a response to a forced pause, inviting a conscious reclaiming of space and rhythm in everyday life. This project explores a slower, deliberate way of seeing, one that resists the fast-paced productivity demands of modern society. It transforms any setting – urban or natural, familiar or new – into a space rich with overlooked stories and subtle details.

The active roll as the stone rolls, in obedience to the stupidity of the laws of mechanics.

— Friedrich Nietzsche

In an age of hyperconnectivity and digital transparency, street photography becomes an act of quiet rebellion against society’s acceleration. Using smartphones and compact cameras democratizes the photographic act, challenging aesthetic norms and shifting focus from technical perfection to authentic, spontaneous observation.

An intoxication comes over the man who walks long and aimlessly through the streets. With each step, the walk takes on greater momentum; ever weaker grow the temptations of shops, of bistros, of smiling women, ever more irresistible the magnetism of the next streetcorner, of a distant mass of foliage, of a street name. Then comes hunger. Our man wants nothing to do with the myriad possibilities offered to sate his appetite. Like an ascetic animal, he flits through unknown districts—until, utterly exhausted, he stumbles into his room, which receives him coldly and wears a strange air.

— Walter Benjamin

Flâneur at work sees the photographer as an observer who moves against the current, reclaiming a sense of time and depth in ordinary moments. Each shot resists the superficiality of visual overstimulation, offering a chance to rediscover the hidden essence within the everyday. This project invites others to pause, explore, and reconnect with the world around them – a radical gesture of contemplation in a time that demands constant productivity.

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About the author

Stefano Carotenuto is a designer at the National Research Council of Italy and an amateur street photographer. Originally from Naples and now based in Milan. His photography has earned recognition from Magnum photographers Martin Parr and Steve McCurry, and has been showcased at international venues like Art Basel Week at the HistoryMiami Museum. He has been featured in interviews by photographer and writer Maurizio Fiorino in Corriere Della Sera Style Magazine and by photographer Mario Mencacci on FIAF.net. Stefano is also a co-author of the book “10 Street Photography”, published in 2023.

To get in touch please write me an email.