Mario Giacomelli's Photography at Palazzo Braschi, Rome

The Museo di Roma at Palazzo Braschi presents "Mario Giacomelli – La figura nera aspetta il bianco," a retrospective of the Italian photographer (Senigallia, 1925-2000) curated by Alessandra Mauro and accompanied by a Contrasto catalogue. Giacomelli, who abandoned school at thirteen and began working in typography and painting, turned to photography at age thirty. His signature high-contrast style, developed under Giuseppe Cavalli—founder of the MISA group in 1954—eliminates documentary detail to reveal poetic structure. Key series include "Io non ho mani che mi carezzino il volto" (seminarists, 1962-63), published in L'Espresso and controversial among Catholics; "Lourdes" (1957) on illness; "Il mattatoio" (1961) on death; and "Verrà la morte e avrà i tuoi occhi" on the Senigallia hospice. His landscapes of the Marche and Scanno employ elaborate darkroom masking. Giacomelli used a Kobell Press 6×9 (later 6×8) camera from 1955 throughout his life. The exhibition runs until May 29, 2016, at Piazza Navona 2 / Piazza San Pantaleo 10.