Sandy Skoglund's Handcrafted Fantasies on View in Senigallia

The retrospective "Sandy Skoglund. I mondi immaginari della fotografia 1974-2023" at Palazzo del Duca in Senigallia showcases the American artist's meticulously constructed tableaux. Skoglund (born 1946, Weymouth) builds elaborate sets by hand, then photographs them, creating surreal, dreamlike images that predate digital manipulation. Her career breakthrough came in 1980 with "Radioactive Cats," depicting a gray room overrun by green felines. Over 45 years, she has produced only 30 photographs due to painstaking production. Each work features a fetish object—often a quotidian item repeated obsessively—and human figures that appear dehumanized. Her last creation, "Winter," took a decade (2008–2018) and was shot on December 22, 2018; it explores snowflakes as a symbol of perseverance. The exhibition, open until June 2, 2024, is organized by the Comune di Senigallia with Regione Marche, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio, and Galleria Paci Contemporary, curated by Mario Trevisan and Giampaolo Paci. Besides large-format prints like "Revenge of the Goldfish" and "Atomic Love," the show includes sketches, props, and a recreation of the "Winter" set, revealing the behind-the-scenes craftsmanship.