Massimiliano Gatti
(Pavia, 1981)
Massimiliano Gatti is an Italian photographer with a unique and compelling approach to capturing the Middle Eastern region. His academic background in Pharmacy, combined with his training in Photography at Cfp R. Bauer in Milan, has allowed him to develop a multidisciplinary perspective that blends scientific precision with artistic expression. Over the years, he has focused his work on the Middle East, particularly the ancient and contemporary narratives that define the region.
Gatti's involvement in archaeological photography began in 2008 with the Qatna project in Syria and later expanded to Iraqi Kurdistan, where he has been contributing to the PARTeN (Archaeological Project in the Land of Nineveh) since 2013. His work spans several years of documenting the history and complexity of these territories, offering a thoughtful, nuanced exploration of both ancient ruins and the contemporary struggles of the region. His photographic style is characterized by its documentary approach, which stands apart from traditional reportage. He focuses on the quiet yet powerful traces of history, blending them with reflections on the present realities of the people and landscapes in these conflict-ridden areas.
Gatti has exhibited his work in numerous group and solo exhibitions both in Italy and internationally. His commitment to documenting and reflecting on the Middle Eastern region provides a personal, introspective narrative that invites the viewer to engage with the deep layers of history, culture, and identity in a part of the world often defined by violence and upheaval. Through his lens, Massimiliano Gatti offers a unique window into a complex and multifaceted reality, filled with both ancient stories and contemporary struggles.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012 Proximum est, San Pietro in Atrio, Como, IT
2013 Confini Invisibili, RB Contemporary, Milano, IT
2013 Work in Progress 2, Constructions of Landscape, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh, SC
2015 Passages, California Museum of Photography, Riverside, CA
2015 Passages: selected images from Syria and Iraq, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Los Angeles, CA
2016 Passages, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Washington, DC
2016 Il giorno in cui la memoria si è dissolta, Columbia University, New York, NY
2018 Hanno memoria le querce, BiBox, Palazzo Ferrero, Biella, IT
2019 Levante, Podbielski Contemporary, Milan, IT
2019 Hanno memoria le querce, Casa della Memoria, Milan, IT
2019 Sottopelle, storie di resistenze e persistenze, Forte Strino, Vermiglio, IT
2020 Sottopelle, storie di resistenze e persistenze, Palazzo Bertazzoli, Bagnolo Mella, IT
2020 Aleph, Studio la Città, Verona, IT
2021 Eyes on Tomorrow, IIC Mexico City, ME
2022 Exilium, Podbielski Contemporary, Milan, IT
2023 Firaq... nostalgia, Studio la Città, Verona, IT
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2009 Piattaforma Zeronove, ex ospedale Sant’Agostino, Modena, IT
2011 International Departures 11 AIR, ex ospedale Sant’Agostino, Modena, IT
2012 CoCoCo Como Contemporary Contest, San Pietro in Atrio, Como, IT
2013 La Giovane Fotografia Italiana #02, Officina delle Arti, Reggio Emilia, IT
2013 E quindi uscimmo a vedere la stelle, galleria San Fedele, IT
2013 Ri-Nascere, Museo del Territorio Biellese, Biella, IT
2014 Circulation(s), Festival de la jeune photographie européenne, Centquatre, Paris, FR
2014 Guernsey Photography Festival, Guernsey Island, UK
2014 Trame della guerra. Dalla prima all’ultima, Castello Visconteo, Pavia, IT
2015 Obiecta, Galleria Giacomo Guidi, Roma, IT
2015 Nuove acquisizioni. Inediti e riscoperte dalla collezione della Galleria Civica di Modena, Palazzo Santa Margherita, Modena, IT
2015 Biennale dei giovani artisti di Monza, Palazzo dell’Arengario, Monza, IT
2015 Un racconto fotografico, Triennale di Milano, Milano, IT
2016 Premio Francesco Fabbri per le Arti Contemporanee, Villa Brandolini, Pieve di Soligo, IT
2017 Archeologia del presente, Studio la città, Verona, IT
2017 Summer show, Studio la città, Verona, IT
2017 Colectiva Atlantica, TEA, Tenerife, SP
2017 Confini migranti, Palazzo Ferrero, Biella, IT
2018 Artifact Prize, Castello di Levizzano, IT
2018 Spatium, Palazzo Botti, Torre Pallavicina, IT
2018 Esercizi di scrittura, Palazzo La Marmora, Biella, IT
2019 Unseen, Westergas, Amsterdam, NL
2019 Un racconto fotografico, Triennale di Milano, Milano, IT
2019 Artissima, Oval Lingotto, Torino IT
2019 Premio Francesco Fabbri per le Arti Contemporanee, Villa Brandolini, Pieve di Soligo, IT
2019 La forma delle nuvole, BiBox, Palazzo Ferrero, Biella, IT
2020 Artefiera, Fiera Bologna, Bologna, IT
2020 Ore sospese, un diario italiano, Podbielski Contemporary, Milan, IT
2021 Premio Francesco Fabbri per le Arti Contemporanee, Villa Brandolini, Pieve di Soligo, IT
2021 Not only history, but our memory, Podbielski Contemporary, Milan, IT
2021 Unseen, Westergas, Amsterdam, NL
2021 Encontros da imagem, Braga, PT
2021 Photo Open Up, Cattedrale ex Macello, Padova IT
2022 Premio New Post Photography, MIA, Milan IT
2023 LINEA Festival, Biella IT
2023 Premio Francesco Fabbri per le Arti Contemporanee, Villa Brandolini, Pieve di Soligo, IT
2024 Madre Materia, Podbielski Contemporary, Milan, IT
2024 MIA Fair, ALLIANZ MiCo, Milan, IT
2024 Homer keeps me alive, DL Gallery, Athens GR
2024 Gran Prix, Interphoto Festival, Bialistok PL
COLLECTIONS
BNL Art Collection
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena
Columbia University
California Museum of Photography
Galleria Civica di Modena
Musei Civici di Pavia
Collezioni Comune di Monza
Private collections