Evoking Clear Memories

Edge of Humanity Magazine

2 years ago

Photographer Massimiliano Gatti is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this documentary photography. From the project ‘Peta’. To see Massimiliano ’s body of work, click on any photograph.

“Peta”, so my father was called.

Peta is a photographic project that portrays the story of a profession, but also a man, through the portrait of some work items that belonged to my father. There are some objects that are part of our lives, which act as a filter to the knowledge of ourselves and our relationships. And I have a special love for these objects: when I was a child, I saw them as instruments of an alchemist, I did not understand the use and overlaid them with a magical charm. Time fades the memory, these objects are not used practically, and almost disappear into the white background. Today, at my glance, these objects may appear obsolete, but they evoke clear memories, because my memory miraculously made them full of significance.

Peta, this was my father.

 Massimiliano Gatti has a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, and he graduated in Photography at Cfp R. Bauer in Milan. For a long time, he carried out several photographic research about the Middle Eastern territory. He is a photographer at the archeological mission in the Middle East (2008–2011 in Qatna, Syria and from 2012 in Iraqi Kurdistan in the PARTeN project). This helps him to discover and know better the situation in these territories full of History and stories. His approach is documentary and far away from the reportage, his research spans from the exploration of ancient ruins and past traces to the observation of the complexity of contemporary reality. He also worked on immigration and communities with artistic projects in Scotland. He brings forward everything proposing a personal thought. From 2013 he took part in a project of the Iraq Task Force of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for teaching archaeological photography at the University of Erbil, Iraq. He takes part as a photographer in the PARTeN project (Archaeological Project in the Land of Nineveh), interdisciplinary research conducted by the University of Udine in Iraqi Kurdistan. Lives and works between Italy and the Middle East. His works are part of important public and private collections, among them: Fondazione Fotografia (Modena), Galleria Civica (Modena), Collezione BNL, California Museum of Photography (Riverside, USA), Musei Civici (Monza), Musei Civici (Pavia). He took part in many group and solo exhibitions in Italy and abroad.

All images and text © Massimiliano Gatti