Luigi Ghirri: Viaggi

Among the many recurring interests that connect the rich and open-ended oeuvre of Luigi Ghirri, a fascination with travel resonates through his photographs, publications, and writings. This book by curator James Lingwood charts a course through Ghirri’s photography between 1970 and 1991, exploring the manifold ways in which journeys – viaggi – appear: in iconic landscapes in the Dolomites and the lakes of northern Italy; in the mirror-worlds of seaside resorts along the Adriatic and Mediterranean; among museums, archaeological sites, and theme parks; inside atlases and on postcards; and along his own bookshelves, with their evocative titles and mementoes. This vividly curated book maps a route through Ghirri’s work that takes in familiar landmarks and surprising detours, interleaving many of his best loved photographs with unseen discoveries from the Ghirri archive.

Luigi Ghirri: Viaggi introduces an essential artist of the late twentieth century through one of his most enduring and beloved themes, delving into Ghirri’s uniquely playful and profound conception of image-making in an age of popular photography and tourism. It is completed by in-depth essays by Tobia Bezzola, James Lingwood, and Maria Antonella Pelizzari, which situate Ghirri’s work in relation to Italian and international contexts and the wider world of image-making and consumption with which he enthusiastically engaged.

Co-published with MASI Lugano, this book accompanies the exhibition ‘Luigi Ghirri: Viaggi. Photographs 1970–1991’ at Museo d’arte della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, 8 September 2024–26 January 2025.