Minor Islands: Notes on Photography from 1990 to Today
The Civic Museums of Cagliari and the MAN Museum of Art of the Province of Nuoro present 'Minor Islands: Notes on Photography from 1990 to Today,' a major photography exhibition held between Nuoro and Cagliari, bringing together sixteen projects by international authors on the theme of representing the island from the beginning of the new century to today.
THE EXHIBITION
The exhibition showcases sixteen projects by international authors on the theme of representing Sardinia from the beginning of the new century to today, examining not only the geographic dimension of the island but also the cultural and social aspects expressed in the idea of isolation.
Through the photographs of established masters, mid-career authors, and emerging young talents, the exhibition route unfolds between MAN and the Municipal Art Gallery of Cagliari to highlight how the representation of the island has changed in recent decades, hinting at a departure from the rhetoric that characterized previous narratives, as well as a persistence of myths, ideologies, and elements of subalternity. The exhibition addresses various themes, from the increasing presence of tourism and its consequences to the living conditions of new generations, from traces of past and recent history to poetic reinterpretations of traditions, communities, and territory.
In addition to the variety of subjects addressed, the exhibition also highlights the plurality of contemporary photographic languages, ranging from revisiting documentary styles to staged scenes specifically constructed to be photographed, as well as a blend of words and images and performance, in a continuous exchange of perspectives and interpretations.
THE AUTHORS
At the Municipal Art Gallery of Cagliari, four authors share a commonality in the relationship between photography and literature, providing further interpretation and formalization of themes such as interpersonal relationships, as seen in the unpublished work of Arianna Arcara (2025) and Karla Hiraldo Voleau, who seeks to reinterpret Generation Z through the legacy of Pasolini's “Comizi d'amore” (2023). Luca Spano's (2020-2021) constructions of worlds between imagination and documentation reflect the literary experience of DH Lawrence. The theme of travel and the new reading of the territory is evident in the works of Francois Xavier Gbré, which depict the new social and economic configurations following migration phenomena.
