It is a common belief that leads us to think that only beautiful things are worth photographing. Beautiful landscapes, beautiful faces, beautiful dishes, beautiful bodies, beautiful buildings and so on. Then, almost unexpectedly something comes along that makes us change our minds. This something is Bellissimo, the latest project by Paolo Zerbini born from the collaboration with Ivan Ruberto.

The two share a lot, starting from the fact that they are both Italian and have moved to London, where they still live and work today. Here they both had the chance to work in the world of fashion, or cinema. Perhaps it is precisely from the desire to move away from that glossy world that Bellissimo was born.

“Bellissimo is a project about people and where they feel they belong.”

We are in front of a fresh and irreverent project, which starts from the assumption that beauty can hide even far away from the most beautiful places, in places you have never thought of going and that you will probably never visit.

Born almost by chance, Bellissimo takes the form of one of those typical magazines that you can listlessly browse under the umbrella and the first issue is dedicated to the snubbed place par excellence, Ostia. But why Ostia? Because nobody but a Roman would choose to go to Ostia on a hot summer day. Because it’s one of those places you hear so much about, but the truth is that few people have really been there.

Bellissimo guides you to places that are commonly unknown, snubbed, derided and helps you navigate them safely. 

The shots of Paolo Zerbini and Ivan Ruberto give life to a story, a journey through the places and especially the faces that represent the true essence of Ostia, its sea, its beach, its umbrellas. The more you look at the photographs, the more you will discover that you too, in your heart, have a place that is not perfect, not extraordinary, not fantastic, but still beautiful.