KARACHI: How do you visually capture one of the most visited and photographed places in the world whilst also making it seem different and original? That question is answered at Passione d’Italia (Passion of Italy) a photography exhibition by Arif Mahmood that opened at Frere Hall on Thursday.

The exhibition is a manifestation of Mahmood’s photographs of Italy taken over a span of 13 years.

“Every photographer has his or her own perspective,” said Mahmood, “You can place three or four photographers in one place and each of them will take a completely different photograph.”

Why Italy? “You can never have enough of Italy,” he says. “It’s a photographer’s paradise — the place, the art motivates you.”

Focused mostly on sacred spaces and architecture, there is a stunning black and white photograph of the Duomo di Milano, the famous cathedral of Milan. Instead of taking a typical wide photograph of the whole building, Mahmood has focused on one statue which appears to have come to life. In fact, that’s the impression in another black and white photograph that he took of the painting ‘Supper at Emmaus’ (1606) by Caravaggio, at the Brera Gallery in Milan; the subjects seem to breathe.

This is in contrast to his photographs of subjects that actually are alive — they appear more as paintings. This was evident in a beautifully-contrasted colour photograph described as “outdoor prayers and blessings during the procession” taken in Taormina, Sicily. The black and white photos were shot on 35mm film format and the colour photographs on digital format with a 50mm lens.

Despite the heavy rainfall earlier in the day, the exhibition was well attended. Stefan Winkler, director of the Goethe-Institut, said that “I’ve seen most of these places in Italy. I’m really amazed and astonished that Arif was able to take photos of them from a really different angle. These are not like your typical Italian postcard photos. In these photos Arif has identified a certain point, a minor detail and then magnified that.”

“The photos are amazing,” said Gianluca Rubagotti, the Consul General of Italy in Karachi. “That’s why I wanted to have this exhibition. When you normally think about Italy, you think of beautiful photos like you see in postcards. These photos are special and show our art, architecture and daily life from a different perspective. I have seen some of Arif’s work, especially his ‘huge’ portfolio on Italy. It was interesting to choose only 25 photographs.”

Valentino Bellini, a Palermo-based photographer said, “Arif’s images, by presenting scenes of everyday life and in juxtaposition with sculpture-like representations, manage to portray a faithful picture of Italy’s nature.”

Bellini’s work has been published in the Washington Post, Guardian and Der Speigel, and he has previously visited and photographed in Pakistan. “It is so geographically distant from Pakistan, yet sharing a profound cultural complexity with it. Only those who are influenced by such complexity and let themselves be attracted and transformed by it can succeed in turning it into images.”

Sister Daniela, an Italian missionary from Brescia, who has been in Pakistan since 1982, was very happy that the perspective in the photos “is not only traditional, but also very artistic. There is a focus on the Christian art of Italy. The photos are very beautiful.” She pointed to a photo of the statue of the bleeding Christ, taken at the Church of Saint Matthew in Palermo, and mentioned that it has great significance as “it’s portrayed in history.”

For others, the exhibition provided a chance to reconnect with home. “Whenever I have a chance to see some of the more blatant and vivid manifestations of Italy, I will go to that event,” said Massimo Ramaioli, a professor of political science at Habib University. “Maybe it’s a stereotypical feeling,” added Ramaioli, who is from Milan, “But I cannot help it. When I think about my country, I think of the artistic images and landmarks. For me, this exhibition is interesting because these photos weren’t taken by an Italian photographer. We get to see what a Pakistani photographer would appreciate and focus on. [Arif has] tried to tease out the chiaroscuro — the contrast between light and shade.”

Passione d’Italia will be exhibited at the Frere Hall until Sept 9.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2017