Marco Imperatore's Venus Reimagined in Stromboli Exhibition

Italian photographer Marco Imperatore's ongoing series 'Not All Venuses Are Born from the Sea' will be exhibited at Il Giardino dell'Arte on the island of Stromboli from August 22 to 30. The series, begun in 2018, reimagines the Roman goddess Venus not as a pristine figure from sea foam but as a contemporary entity shaped by volcanic landscapes. Imperatore, who grew up in Naples with Mount Vesuvius as a constant presence, was introduced to photography by his mother, who photographed their hometown Pozzuoli. He learned from her that landscape is a living subject. The series features female figures—Venus-like women—set against volcanic terrain, immersed in water, or among black lava, draped in fabric and pearls. These figures are exposed to the elements, embodying a fertility tied to regeneration rather than procreation. Imperatore shoots on film, valuing the delayed process as essential to the creative work. He collaborates with creative director and stylist Mariaelena Morell to develop a visual language drawing on Renaissance depictions of Venus. The project explores time through the contrasting volcanic activity of Vesuvius (dormant) and Stromboli (continuously active). Imperatore hopes viewers gain renewed appreciation for mythology's relevance, and he plans to publish the work as a book.