AcquaAriaFuocoTerra
curated di Guglielmo Pepe
February 16th - March 30th 2008
free entrance - via Milano 13

For over a century, National Geographic's photographers have depicted the world and nature with their extraordinary images, a selection of which will be on public display in the group exhibition "acqua aria fuoco terra", at Palazzo delle Esposizioni from February 16 to March 30.
The exhibition presents a collection of photos, most of which have never been on public display before, selected from the most significant shots taken for National Geographic. In the tradition of the celebrated magazine, which tells the story of our planet, both with images and words, the photos chosen for the exhibition provide documentation that is unique in the world. The UN, with the support of UNESCO and the IUGS (International Union of Geological Science), has proclaimed 2008 the "International Year of Planet Earth", organizing a series of initiatives to promote research in the sciences of the Earth. This inspired "National Geographic Italy" to organize the exhibition: a heartfelt tribute to the fragile beauty of a planet that is changing at dizzying speed, and to the delicate balance that exists between man and the environment.  A hymn to life, to the optimism of reason, that emphasises the need for sustainable development.

"acqua aria fuoco terra", curated by Guglielmo Pepe, editor-in-chief of National Geographic Italia, is divided into 4 sections and presents 92 images created by 39 of the most outstanding photographers whose lives have been marked by a passion for knowledge and communication. Photographers like Michael Nichols, who accomplished the legendary Megatransect project with biologist Michael Fay; Paul Nicklen, the Arctic photographer who grew up in an Inuit community, and who will be the star of a conference/event on March 4 at Palazzo delle Esposizioni; Carsten Peter, specialized in extreme nature photography; Joel Sartore, who has contributed to the magazine for over 15 years; Frans Lanting, who reported the evolution of life on Earth during a long journey around the world in 2000; Steve McCurry,  Magnum photographer famous for his intense and deeply moving portraits of people in South-east Asia. His shots go beyond the boundaries of language and culture;

Michael Yamashita, who followed in Marco Polo's footsteps and has worked all over the planet, from Somalia and Sudan, to New Guinea (and New Jersey), though Asia is still his centerpiece; Reza, who created "the first independent photographic agency" in Post-Taliban Afghanistan; and  Robert Clark, winner of the World Press Photo Award in 2002 for the picture of the plane crashing into the World Trade Center.

A special mention must go to five exceptional women photographers whose work is also on display in the exhibition: Jodi Cobb, Maria Stenzel, Annie Griffiths Belt, Karen Kasmauski and Sisse Brimberg: their images offer an extraordinary insight of our times and of our world, and tell global stories about important issues  such as slavery in the twenty-first century, as well as more intimate stories revealing closed and secret worlds. We must not forget Alexandra Boulat, war photojournalist who died last October at 45. Her photos have given a face to the victims of the conflicts of the Third Millennium.  
The works of the above mentioned 39 photographers will be accompanied by a slide show of 92 images by 39 of the photographers who worked for National Geographic Italia during its first ten years, and more photos, strictly in black & white, published in the ‘Archivio Italiano' section of the magazine.