Nino Migliori. The Dialectic of Reality

In the year in which Nino Migliori, one of the undisputed stars of the 20th-century Italian photography, is celebrating its 100th anniversary; a retrospective honours the maestro with images that tell the story of the’Italy and its contradictions: from the dignity of poverty to the economic boom, from modern industry to the energy of the abstract form. Curated by Mauro Zanchi, the exhibition brings together 160 images, many of which have been included in the history of Italian photography, looking back at the season of the Neorealism going beyond a documentary reading.

The exhibition offers a fresh perspective on post-war photography, demonstrating how the documentary image is transformed into an exploration of the expressive potential of the image. Through iconic series such as People of Emilia, People from the South, People of the Delta e People from the North, the author places humanity, seen in relation to its land, at the heart of his exploration. From the suspended atmospheres of the’Emilia to the human landscape of Basilicata e Calabria, from the tales of hardship in the Po Delta right down to the social dynamism of the cities in the North, the work becomes a universal narrative of dignity and memory.

Alongside his photo-essays, Migliori pursues research into visual language, exploring the fringes of cities and the amorphous geometries of walls, surfaces and patches. Photography thus breaks free from its mere role as a record to become an exploration of form, foreshadowing the well-known series Walls. The exhibition is accompanied by a bilingual catalogue published by Dario Cimorelli Publisher featuring critical essays and a conversation with the artist.