Luigi Ghirri

(1943-1992)

Luigi Ghirri is one of the greatest and most influential Italian photographers of the 20th century, the creator of a poetic and innovative vision of the contemporary landscape, deeply rooted in the Emilian plain and the Reggio Emilia area.

He was born in Fellegara di Scandiano in 1943 and began taking photos in 1969, collaborating with artists in the conceptual art scene and immediately developing a personal practice based on the use of colour photography, which was still relatively uncommon in the art world at the time.

In the 1970s, he produced a series of works exploring the major themes of vision: the relationship between natural and artificial images, the ambiguity of the contemporary landscape, the memory of history and the imagery of consumerism.
During this period, he came into contact with Massimo Mussini and Arturo Carlo Quintavalle, starting a crucial collaboration with the CSAC (Centre for Studies and Archive of Communication), which now holds one of the most important collections of his photos.
In 1979, the CSAC dedicated a major retrospective exhibition to him, considered a turning point in his career.

In the following years, his work focused increasingly on landscape and architecture, partly thanks to his engagement with intellectuals such as Vittorio Savi and Aldo Rossi.
Ghirri broadened his artistic language by collaborating with writers and musicians such as Gianni Celati, Ermanno Cavazzoni, Antonio Tabucchi and Lucio Dalla, and participated in collective projects that redefined the way in which the Italian landscape was portrayed.
Among these, Viaggio in Italia (1984) and Esplorazioni sulla Via Emilia (1986) stand out as seminal works in contemporary photography.

His work is now considered one of the most important in the 20th-century Italian photography.
Among his most significant works is also the artist’s book “Paesaggi di cartone” ("Cardboard Landscapes"), created around 1974 and then donated to the New York-based MoMA.

Luigi Ghirri died prematurely in 1992 in Reggio Emilia, leaving a visual and cultural legacy that continues to influence artists and photographers around the world.

Find out more at:
Musei di Reggio Emilia: Mostra / Luigi Ghirri. Lezioni di fotografia