Mimmo Jodice's 'Mediterraneo' at Matera: Photographs That Reshaped Our View of Antiquity

A major exhibition dedicated to Mimmo Jodice's celebrated 'Mediterraneo' series opens at Palazzo Lanfranchi in Matera, Italy, running until November 8, 2026. Curated by Carlo Sala, the show features 83 works, including 68 vintage silver gelatin prints on baryta paper toned with selenium, made by the artist himself between the late 1980s and early 1990s. These photographs, which helped secure Jodice's international reputation after his 1995 exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, capture ancient sculptures, temples, and landscapes with a distinctive chiaroscuro that imbues them with a sense of living presence. The installation is deliberately minimal, allowing the images to speak for themselves. After its run in Matera, the exhibition will travel to the Centre d'Art Moderne de Tétouan in Morocco in 2027. Jodice, who was born in Naples in 1934 and died in 2025, is celebrated for his ability to transform photography into a unique artifact through meticulous darkroom work. His images of works such as the Atleti from the Villa dei Papiri, the Apollo di Baia, and the Danzatrici offer viewers a new way of seeing antiquity, revealing a hidden essence that transcends mere documentation. The exhibition is presented by Artribune, which also published the original article.