The exhibition "Mario Giacomelli. The photographer and the poet" at Palazzo Reale in Milan, promoted by the Municipality of Milan - Culture and produced by Palazzo Reale and Archivio Mario Giacomelli, in collaboration with Rjma progetti culturali and Silvana Editoriale, is part of the initiatives promoted by the Archivio Mario Giacomelli on the occasion of the centenary of Mario Giacomelli's birth, aimed at celebrating the artistic and cultural legacy of one of the greatest masters of Italian photography.

The exhibition, curated by Bartolomeo Pietromarchi and Katiuscia Biondi Giacomelli, takes place concurrently with the exhibition "Mario Giacomelli. The photographer and the artist" at Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, building two complementary paths that delve into the multiple facets of the artist's work, both awarded the Medal of the President of the Republic. A unique opportunity to rediscover Giacomelli not only as a photographer, but as a central figure in the artistic and cultural panorama of the twentieth century, capable of building a bridge between photography, painting, poetry, and sculpture, demonstrating a vision that continues to inspire new generations of artists and observers.

The exhibition at Palazzo Reale is part of the Cultural Olympiad of Milan Cortina 2026, the multidisciplinary, plural, and widespread program that will animate Italy to promote Olympic values through culture, heritage, and sports, in view of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games that Italy will host respectively from February 6 to 22 and from March 6 to 15, 2026.  

The Milanese project "Mario Giacomelli. The photographer and the poet" is a tribute to the deep bond between Mario Giacomelli and poetry, an intense and visceral dialogue that permeates all his work. Not only in explicit references to great poetic texts, but also in his vision of photography as a pure lyrical expression, capable of transforming reality into narrative, emotion, and suggestion.