From 21 May 2026, MAR will open the Galleria Paolo Roversi, a permanent space dedicated to the great Ravenna-born photographer, one of the most influential figures in international contemporary photography.
The gallery presents an immersive journey through the artist’s visual universe: iconic portraits, fashion photographs and still lifes alternate in a setting that evokes the studio space, the central hub of his creative practice. Here, photography becomes an experience, constructed through the interplay of light, shadow and matter.
Roversi’s work is characterised by a suspended and intense aesthetic, in which images seem to emerge from the darkness or dissolve into the light. His photographs, often created using analogue techniques and long exposures, convey a poetic and timeless vision, where the body and the face become fragile, luminous presences.
The exhibition features some of his most famous portraits, including Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Stella Tennant, Natalia Vodianova, Rihanna, Golshifteh Farahani and his daughter Stella Roversi.
His work engages deeply with the city of Ravenna: his pieces reflect the same qualities of light, material and suspension that characterise Byzantine mosaics. Just as in the mosaic surfaces of San Vitale or Galla Placidia, in his photographs too, light does not merely illuminate, but constructs the image, permeates it and transforms it. Photography and mosaic thus become two languages that converge, sharing the same concept of time, stratification and vision.
The gallery creates a dialogue between these works and the space itself, transforming it into an immersive and theatrical environment. Light, a fundamental element of Roversi’s language, guides the visitor through an experience composed of apparitions, silences and subtle shifts in perception.
The Gallaria Paolo Roversi thus offers a unique opportunity to engage with the work of an artist who has redefined fashion and portrait photography, whilst always maintaining a personal and recognisable vision.