Filippo Maggia on Photography's Eclipse and the Rise of the Global South

Curator Filippo Maggia argues photography faces an 'eclipse'—a temporary obscuring—not a crisis, as digital and social media have blurred the line between photography and generic images. In Italy, institutional support has increased but fails to produce quality work due to self-referential content and lack of critical engagement. Maggia, who has curated over 100 shows and taught at IED Turin, Accademia di Belle Arti di Catania, and Iuav Venice, notes that younger artists often lack theoretical, historical, and technical knowledge of photography. Meanwhile, the Global South (Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Latin America) produces the most compelling work, using photography as a tool for social commentary and activism. He cites the Pathshala South Asia Media Institute in Dhaka and artists like Hiroshi Sugimoto and Axel Hütte as exemplars of photography as a mental process. Maggia is currently preparing a show with three Nepalese artists at Fondazione Ugo Da Como in June, following a Japanese contemporary art exhibition in Trieste, and a 2026 project for Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Guarene featuring artists from India, Bangladesh, Mexico/Peru, Kuwait/Puerto Rico, and Nepal. He criticizes Italy's focus on blockbuster exhibitions and lack of structured vision, calling for reformed education, fewer festivals, and more international dialogue.