Edward Burtynsky's aerial photos of industrial scars on view at M9 Mestre

The M9 – Museo del '900 in Mestre presents 'BURTYNSKY: Extraction / Abstraction', the largest retrospective ever dedicated to Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky (born 1955, St. Catharines). Curated by Marc Mayer with exhibition design by Alvisi Kirimoto, the show arrives in Italy after its successful debut at London's Saatchi Gallery. Over 80 large-format photographs are arranged in six thematic sections documenting the transformation of Earth's surface through pollution, manufacturing, and agriculture. Highlights include images of the Cerro Prieto geothermal station in Sonora, Mexico (2012) and the Deda chicken processing plant in Jilin, China (early 2000s). An immersive installation based on the award-winning short film 'In the Wake of Progress' (2022), co-produced with Bob Ezrin and featuring original music by the late Phil Strong, runs 30 minutes. Burtynsky does not consider himself an environmental activist but emphasizes the abstract, formal quality of his images. The exhibition is the second major show at M9 under new director Serena Bertolucci and gains deeper resonance given Mestre's industrial history.