Zero Gravity
The right corridor of the Manege Central Exhibition hall continues with the photos of another Italian photographer, Johnny Moncada, a descendant of a well-known aristocratic family who began his career as an advertising photographer. In the mid-1950s he switched to fashion photography and documented the golden age of “Made in Italy.” But after Yuri Gagarin became the first man in the space, Moncada made a series of photographs dedicated to the famous astronaut and developed the image of a futurist woman. ”Zero Gravity” shows models in avant-garde cosmic interiors, similar to the work of the most fashionable stylists of the 1960s in an unusual background made of plastic, mirrors, aluminum, and Plexiglas. “These photos capture the attitude Russians had towards the future, so I’m sure the public will appreciate the exhibition,” Valentina Moncada, curator of the show and the photographer’s daughter, told The Moscow Times. “In contrast with the international audience, Russians have seen the conquest of space in a spiritual way, and the photographs on display stress the aesthetic of the conqueror.”
Photography as Performance
Before leaving space for other international photographers, Piero Marsili Libelli shows another side of Italy and its culture. “After meeting the film director Michelangelo Antonioni, Marsili Libelli decided to become a photographer and live for photography,” curator Liya Chechik told The Moscow Times. In the 1980s and 1990s, Marsili Libelli moved to Rome where he shot stories about the most important European cultural, artistic and theatrical events. Those years brought this multi-faceted photographer well-earned renown, as can be seen at the show: portraits of Federico Fellini and Marcello Mastroianni, a report on the Romanian Revolution of 1989, stories of Syrian refugees in the Balkans or daily life in Mumbai. Despite the contrasting topics, the talent of the photographer can be recognized in both war and documentary photo stories as well as fashion shoots. The three exhibitions are supported by the Italian Institute of Culture in Moscow.
Photobiennale 2018 runs until May 27 at the Manege Central Exhibition Hall.
Moscow Manege. 1 Manege Square. Metro Okhotny Ryad. moscowmanege.ru/en