Published by RM/Fundación MAPFRE. Text by María Willis, Horacio Fernández, Sagrario Berti, Antonio Muñoz Molina, Juan Villoro.
Born in Gorizia, Italy in 1934 and nationalized as Venezuelan in 1954, photographer Paolo Gasparini is a leading figure in modern Latin American photography, known for his unflinching portrayal of the cultural tensions and profound internal contradictions of the American continent. Gasparini has travelled extensively throughout Latin America, from Cuba to Venezuela, where he eventually settled, and beyond, capturing the diversity and visual culture of the region he came to call home.
This publication, accompanying the eponymous exhibition, surveys six decades of his photographic career wherein an itinerary through the ever-changing landscapes of cities such as Caracas, La Habana, Sao Paulo or Mexico seems to echo that of Munich, Paris, Madrid or London. The catalog features essays by María Wills, curator of the exhibition, Horacio Fernández, Antonio Muñoz Molina and Juan Villoro, as well as a concise biography of Gasparini by Sagrario Berti.
Italian-Venezuelan Paolo Gasparini is a key figure in contemporary documentary photography. Known for his emblematic images of conflict zones--the border between the United States and Mexico, the Zapatista territory (from Morelos to Chiapas), the Sierra Tarahumara and Mexico City--Gasparini weaves an ambiguous narrative by fusing contemporary and traditional themes, with the aim of demonstrating that photography can be an act of political conscience. With an uncompromising gaze, Gasparini celebrates the vitality of these regions while denouncing the tragedies that besiege them. Superbly designed by Yvette García, Paolo Gasparini: The Supplicant presents a wholly unique vision with a decade's worth of images taken throughout Latin America. Poetic and unflinching, Gasparini's images confront the stark reality, which is equal parts beauty and brutality. Included in this survey is a text by Mexican journalist Juan Villoro.
Paolo Gasparini: The Supplicant