Luigi Spina's Bronze Photographs at Reggio Calabria Museum

To mark the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Riace Bronzes on August 16, 1972, off the coast of Riace in Calabria, the Museo Regionale di Reggio Calabria opens an exhibition featuring photographs by Luigi Spina (born 1966), named best photographer of 2020 by Artribune. The show, titled 'Luigi Spina – I Bronzi di Riace,' runs from August 10 to October 23, 2022. It presents 16 large-format prints (90×134 cm) installed along the museum's Piacentini staircase, creating a visual dialogue between the two statues: eight images of Statue A and eight of Statue B. Spina describes how the bronze epidermis takes on different form, density, and luster, with chiaroscuro bodies showing the multiform spectrum of bronze as light varies. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog published by 5 Continents Editions, featuring Spina's images alongside a historical and artistic narrative written by museum director Carmelo Malacrino and Riccardo Di Cesare, archaeologist and professor at the University of Foggia. The catalog explores the statues' evocative story, blending scientific truths with still-open questions. The museum is located in Reggio Calabria, Italy.