MAXXI Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo

Italy goes on holiday

29 Jul - 25 Sep 2011

© Fabio Ponzio
Punta Sabbioni, Venezia, 2007
stampa digitale (ink-jet) b/n
ITALY GOES ON HOLIDAY
curated by Francesca Fabiani
29 July - 25 September 2011

“Italy goes on holiday” this is the first of a series of art exhibitions which intends to present the MAXXI Architectural Photographic Collections to the public with a different curatorial cut from time to time.
To this day the collection is made up by more than 1000 photos acquired since 2003 through purchasers projects related to the landscape, territorial and architectural theme. It constitutes a rich “basin” of images mainly related to the identity – not only “physical” – of our country.

The chosen theme for this first appointment, in conjunction with the summer time, illustrates multiple declension of holiday in the “Bel Paese” through the gaze – sometimes ironic, in some cases more poetical, but nearly always critical – of the eleven photographers on show.
From the costal crowding area to the siege of cities of art, from the thematic parks to the medieval village: a holiday from Sicily to Trentino among vices and virtues of our “to do a holiday”.
These might be disappointing images for who expected to find postcards softened views, but certainly stimulating to reason about the real connotation of the contemporary landscape and on how it’s influenced by the presence and human action, even when it’s apparently innocent and thoughtless.

Photos by: Nunzio Battaglia, Bruna Biamino, Giancarlo Ceraudo, John Davies, Alex Maclean, Walter Niedermayr, Enzo Obiso, Fabio Ponzio, Francesco Radino, Fulvio Ventura, Massimo Vitali.
 

Tags: Walter Niedermayr, Nunzio, Massimo Vitali