Anton Giulio Onofri's Pellestrina Photography Show Opens in Venice

Key facts

• Pellestrina isola sottile is a photographic exhibition by Anton Giulio Onofri, born in Rome in 1959.
• The show is on view until 4 November at Fondazione Querini Stampalia and Galleria 200C Giudecca in Venice.
• It is curated by Cristiana Collu and Olga Strada.
• Pellestrina is an 11-kilometre island between the lagoon and the sea, varying in width from a few dozen metres to over a kilometre.
• The island is separated from Chioggia by the port mouths of the same name and from the Lido di Venezia by the Malamocco port basin.
• Its hamlets are Santa Maria del Mare, San Piero in Volta and Pellestrina.
• Five winter photographs are shown at the Querini Stampalia; summer images are displayed at Galleria 200C Giudecca.
• An unpublished text by Giovanni Montanaro connects the two photographic groups.
• Onofri shot 12 summer images with an iPhone in September 2025 during the Venice Film Festival and returned in winter with a Leica for five large-format photographs.
• The winter dimension recalls Roma città chiusa, his project made during the Covid emergency on Ostia's shoreline.
• The Murazzi defences highlight the precarious balance between human settlement and the natural environment.