Massimo Vitali Photographs Dawn Swim at Monopoli for Cooking Show Performance
On September 1, 2022, at dawn, Italian artist Massimo Vitali (born 1944 in Como) conducted a live photography performance titled "Cooking Show. Fotografia in diretta" at Cala di Porta Vecchia in Monopoli, Italy. The event captured the town's centuries-old tradition of a collective dawn swim, believed to bring good luck for autumn and winter and symbolizing purification of mind and body. Vitali, represented by Mazzoleni gallery, photographed hundreds of bathers immersed in the sea under a pink sky that brightened with sunrise. The performance was part of the diffused exhibition Panorama Monopoli, organized by ITALICS, a consortium of over 60 Italian galleries, running until September 4. The exhibition aims to foster dialogue between contemporary and historical art and the local territory, communities, and traditions. Vitali shared a preview on Instagram, noting the image captures the ritual of people waiting for the first sun ray before a collective swim. The project continues Vitali's research on the sea and coastlines.
Key facts
- Event took place on September 1, 2022, at dawn in Monopoli, Italy.
- Massimo Vitali photographed hundreds of people during a traditional collective dawn swim.
- The performance was called 'Cooking Show. Fotografia in diretta'.
- Vitali is represented by Mazzoleni gallery.
- The event was part of the Panorama Monopoli exhibition organized by ITALICS.
- ITALICS is a consortium of over 60 Italian galleries.
- Panorama Monopoli runs until September 4, 2022.
- The tradition involves a dawn swim on September 1 each year at Cala di Porta Vecchia.
Entities
Artists
- Massimo Vitali
Institutions
- Mazzoleni
- ITALICS
Locations
- Monopoli
- Italy
- Cala di Porta Vecchia