Massimiliano Gatti

Le Nuvole

“I matched photos of Palmyra, the Syrian archaeological site that was damaged by ISIS, with propaganda video frames documenting its destruction. On the one hand, there are images with a classic archaeological taste, on the other, images that deliberately look like clouds, but are actually columns of smoke rising after the explosion. Le Nuvole is the title of a play by Aristophanes in which the Clouds are ethereal and impalpable divinities associated with the lightness of thought of the new philosophical currents. Underneath this is an observation about the perception of these contents in the digital age. These are my Nuvole, a dangerous, violent and nihilistic form of thought, easy and free to access, denying history and memory, the past and the roots of our entire culture.”

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Massimiliano Gatti
(Pavia, IT, 1981)
Massimiliano Gatti studied Photography at CFP Bauer in Milan and develops his artistic research in the Middle East. As a photographer on archaeological missions (from 2008 to 2011 in Qatna, Syria and since 2012, in the PARTeN project in Iraqi Kurdistan), he has had the opportunity to deepen his knowledge of these lands, rich in history and stories. With a documentary approach, yet far from reportage, his research ranges from the exploration of the past to the observation of the multifaceted contemporary reality, suggesting his own personal reflection. His works are part of private and public collections including: Fondazione Fotografia, Modena; Galleria Civica, Modena; BNL Collection, California Museum of Photography, Riverside; Columbia University, New York.
He lives and works between Italy and the Middle East.

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