Italian cultural offerings extend beyond the usual circuits. In Milan, the Leica Galerie is exhibiting Street diary by Phil Penman, a journey through street photography in New York and other cities. At the same time, Palazzo Citterio hosts Paladino featuring the complete Dormienti series by Mimmo Paladino, an installation of terracotta sculptures. In Lecce, the Biscozzi Rimbaud Foundation presents Gianni Bertini's evolution from the 1940s to his Mec-Art period.
The technique behind the gaze: from sensor to fired clay 📸
Phil Penman uses high-sensitivity Leica equipment to capture urban chaos in adverse lighting conditions, achieving textures that rival analog grain. On the other hand, Paladino's Dormienti series requires precise control of terracotta firing to avoid cracks in large-format figures. The Bertini exhibition documents his transition to Mec-Art, where he used industrial photography and serigraphy to question authorship, a process now replicated by image generation algorithms.
Serial art: when sleeping is more profitable than working 😴
Paladino's installation features 22 sleeping figures in terracotta. Someone should tell them that, in the contemporary art market, taking a nap on a pedestal is a more effective marketing strategy than getting up early. Meanwhile, Penman's street photos portray New Yorkers who can't even afford to catch a nap on the subway without someone taking their photo and selling it as art. Ironies of the system.