Francesco Pergolesi's Dog Portraits at Villa della Regina, Turin

The exhibition DIVAS – Dog Portraits, featuring staged photography by Francesco Pergolesi, opens at Villa della Regina in Turin, a UNESCO World Heritage site and former Savoy residence. The show presents over forty photographs that explore the evolving role of dogs as family members, using elaborate sets within the villa's interiors and gardens. Pergolesi's staged photography incorporates props like trains, designer handbags, and sheet music belonging to the dogs' owners, creating theatrical compositions that reference the absent owners. Curator Carla Testore describes the aesthetic as deliberately excessive, with drapes, cushions, feathers, and petals. The exhibition is part of the Torino Photo Days festival, coinciding with The Phair photography fair from May 5 to 7, 2023. Some rooms not usually open to the public, including second-floor spaces and the Padiglione dei Solinghi, are accessible during the show.