Photography Collection
The Photography Collection, which comprises approximately 2,400 fine art photographs, was created in 2003, when the General Directorate for Architecture and Contemporary Art, in addition to overseeing the construction of the MAXXI building, formed the firsts photographic holdings of the MAXXI Architecture Department, through commissioning projects, photographic prizes and acquisition projects.
The commissioning projects, such as Atlante Italiano 2003. Ritratto dell’Italia che cambia, Sguardi Contemporanei (2004), Atlante Italiano 2007. Rischio Paesaggio, aimed at investigating the Italian territory and its transformations, as well as its architectural excellence, leveraging the power of photography to render new identities by looking at the contemporary landscape beyond the mere stereotypes.
Over time, the Photography Collection has been strengthened in its specificity of commissioned projects, and broadened in its disciplinary and linguistic horizons, opening up acquisitions projects and exhibition also to new themes, where the concepts of document and work, expressive form and research, are often intertwined.
The Collection evolves constantly and over the past 10 years has doubled, through new commissions, such as Terre in Movimento, in 2018, or L’Aquila, in 2020, and through new acquisitions aimed at increasing the funds of well-established authors, such as those of Luigi Ghirri and Mario Cresci, and those of young authors, thanks to the collaboration with the Graziadei Prize for young contemporary photography.
header: Silvia Camporesi, Romagnano, 2014. Giclée print b/w on archival matt paper, hand-painted. 16×24 cm. 2018 Acquisition.
newsletter
subscribe to our newsletter and keep up to date with what’s going on at MAXXI
card myMAXXI
for those interested in exploring the present