The Photographic Art of Nino Migliori

When one speaks of Nino Migliori in Ferrara, one ‘tips one's hat’. The anthological exhibition at the Estense Castle, organised by Ferrara Arte and the Art Museum Services of the Municipality of Ferrara in collaboration with the Nino Migliori Foundation, highlights the work of one of the greatest exponents of Italian experimental photography. Denis Curti curates the exhibition, showing how Migliori's photography has explored and renewed visual language.

The exhibition begins with a series of self-portraits ranging from the 1940s to the 1970s, continuing with ‘Muri e Manifesti strappati’, a journey through the decades that depicts the city as a canvas of torn and reapplied expressions, symbolising an ever-changing urban landscape.

The ‘Gente’ segment, from the 1950s, offers an intimate look at the communities of Emilia, the South, the North and the Delta, reflecting the influences of neorealist cinema and providing a window on post-war Italian life through the prism of photography.

In later years, Migliori broadened his scope to include techniques such as photographic oxidation and polarigrams, pushing the boundaries between reality and imagination. The exhibition offers a comprehensive view of his creative journey, from figurative series to experiments that challenge visual perception.

In the 1990s, Migliori explored visual sequentiality in works such as ‘Dead Binary’ and ‘Imaginary Alphabet’, creating visual narratives that explore transformation and movement through abandoned spaces or neglected objects. ‘Polyphanie’ (1983) and “Arabesque” (2022-23) are examples of his playful and irreverent approach to photographic composition, breaking down and recomposing images to explore new narrative forms.

Migliori's work with Polaroids, as in the series ‘Transfigurazioni’ and ‘Strappi’, also shows his ongoing quest to expand the potential of photography as an artistic medium and means of personal expression.

The exhibition is not only a retrospective of his work but also an invitation to consider photography as an endless field of experimentation, inspiring new generations to explore and innovate with modern tools such as artificial intelligence.

The exhibition will remain open until 3 June 2025, representing an unmissable opportunity to immerse oneself in the visual and creative universe of Nino Migliori.

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^{Ph. by Francesca Occhi}