Alex Majoli's 'Andante' at MAR Ravenna: A Non-Retrospective

Alex Majoli's exhibition 'Andante' at MAR in Ravenna is not a retrospective but a curated selection of over 200 prints, mixing iconic images with lesser-known or unpublished works. Majoli, born in 1971, began his career as a photojournalist covering the Yugoslav civil war in 1989 at age 18, later documenting conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. He rejects labels like 'photoreporter' or 'artist,' calling himself 'one who takes photographs.' The show is organized in three levels: the ground floor presents an infernal vision of contemporary tragedies (migrants, war, mental illness), the second floor offers lighter, more artistic images, and the top floor features 'Scenes,' a series funded by the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation (fellowship won in 2016) focusing on European identity crisis. Curated by Majoli himself, the exhibition uses intuitive juxtapositions, comparing white smoke in Afghanistan to a widow's veil in Congo, aiming for an 'andante' rhythm. The 'Scenes' section, curated by Diane Dufour and David Campany, employs explicit theatricality with artificial light, reflecting Majoli's view that photography is a series of 'interesting lies.' Key works include 'Leros' (1994) documenting the closure of a Greek mental hospital, and images from Brazil, Angola, and the Arab Spring in Egypt (2011). The exhibition runs at MAR in Ravenna.