ART | Mario Giacomelli Photography Exhibition "THE BLACK IS WAITING FOR THE WHITE"

ART│ The Power of Strong Contrast to Elevate Suffering to the Poetic, Profound, and Universal

Mario Giacomelli Photography Exhibition: 'THE BLACK IS WAITING FOR THE WHITE'

The Tokyo Photographic Art Museum in Ebisu will host 'THE BLACK IS WAITING FOR THE WHITE,' an exhibition of works by the master photographer Mario Giacomelli, from Saturday, March 23, to Sunday, May 12. Giacomelli masterfully wielded 'black' and 'white' to confront 'life' and 'death' with intense high contrast.

Text by YANAKA Tomomi

Featuring 'To Sylvia,' a photographic exploration of poetry not shown in the previous retrospective

'I Have No Hands to Caress This Face' © Archivio Mario Giacomelli, Senigallia

Giacomelli, an original photographer who sought to approach the essence of things through assembled photographic series, was born in Italy in 1920. He grew up in a poor family in Senigallia, a town on the Adriatic coast, and lost his father in childhood. Following his mother, who found work as a laundress at a hospice, he frequented the hospice from a young age, witnessing the cruel realities of the end of life and the inescapable process of aging.

Later, Giacomelli began working in printing at a young age. While printing business cards and letterheads, he became accustomed to the stark contrast of black type on white paper, the interplay of light and shadow. In the 1950s, alongside his printing work, he began to take photographs on his days off.

Through painstaking trial and error in the darkroom, Giacomelli developed his unique printing techniques, including cropping, dodging, and multiple exposures. These prints reveal sharp lines, fundamental emotions, and profound thoughts, imbued with unparalleled consistency, poetic sensibility, and a dreamlike power. His artistic endeavors continued until his death in 2000.

The Tokyo Photographic Art Museum held its first major retrospective in Japan in 2008, featuring approximately 140 works, which garnered significant attention. For this current exhibition, Alessandra Mauro, an Italian journalist and renowned curator of photography, has taken on the curatorial role. The exhibition will showcase Giacomelli's representative works such as 'Hospice,' 'Scanno,' 'The Seminarians,' and 'Earth,' presented as Giacomelli himself envisioned. Furthermore, it will include 'To Sylvia,' a series inspired by Leopardi's poetry that sought to express the world of poetry through photography, which was reportedly not featured in the previous retrospective. With a total of 218 works, the exhibition delves into the artist's core essence.

The power of stark monochrome contrast, transforming suffering into something poetic, profound, and universal. We invite you to journey into the photographic world of Giacomelli, a visionary artist who continues to influence various artists a decade after his passing.

Mario Giacomelli Photography Exhibition 'THE BLACK IS WAITING FOR THE WHITE'
Dates: Saturday, March 23 – Sunday, May 12 (Closed Mondays. If a Monday is a public holiday, the museum will be open and closed the following Tuesday.)
However, the museum will be open on Tuesday, April 30.
Hours: 10:00 – 18:00
Venue: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, B1F Exhibition Hall
1-13-3 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-3280-0099
Admission: General ¥1000, Students ¥800, Junior High/High School Students and Seniors (65+) ¥600