GIANNI GIANSANTI - Passing by

📣 The exhibition has been extended until April 7th, given the success it has enjoyed this week!

📅 Saturday, April 6th

11:30 AM – 9:00 PM

📅 Sunday, April 7th

4:00 PM – 9:00 PM

📸 "PASSING BY" 📸

A retrospective on Gianni Giansanti, the photographer who chronicled thirty years of international history.

Ten years after his passing, Andrea and Greta Giansanti—in collaboration with Immaginazione, Palazzo Velli, and Gamma|Rapho—present "PASSING BY," a photography exhibition dedicated to the renowned photographer and journalist Gianni Giansanti, curated by Chiara Mariani and Ada Masella.

Through a selection of 85 photographs, the exhibition aims to trace the career of Gianni Giansanti, one of the most highly regarded photojournalists on the international stage.

Gianni Giansanti rose to fame at just 21 years old with his celebrated exclusive shot of the discovery of Aldo Moro’s body on Via Caetani in Rome in 1978; this infamous photograph, which immediately made headlines worldwide, earned him an honorable mention at the World Press Photo awards that same year.

From that point on, Giansanti used his camera to document thirty years of national and international history and the figures who shaped it, covering key events in Italian news—from the Bologna massacre to the Tesero disaster. Notably, he chronicled the 27-year pontificate of Pope John Paul II, following him during public appearances and private moments to create a true photographic biography of one of contemporary history's most significant and charismatic figures. This work won him first prize at the World Press Photo contest in 1988. Storytelling and the portrayal of individuals were the areas where Gianni Giansanti preferred to work; he captured not only the Pope but also sports figures such as Alessandro Del Piero, Ayrton Senna, and Jacques Villeneuve, conveying their stories as athletes and, above all, as human beings.

Humanity is the unifying thread of the stories he tells, fueling his curiosity as a photographer and his desire to bear witness to “authentic moments.”

The sequence of photographs on display showcases Giansanti’s ability to shift between news photography, artistic portraiture, and reportage. He always approached his subjects without judgment, simply shooting with a rare journalistic instinct and a sensitivity that ensure his photographs remain emotionally powerful and relevant today—even in a world where we are increasingly just passing through.

The exhibition is divided into three sections:

● the Moro affair and Italian news events

● portraits

● reportage

These include the famous scoop regarding the discovery of Aldo Moro’s body and photographs documenting Italian news events—from the Tesero disaster and the Bologna massacre to the Palio di Siena—followed by an extensive portrait section (featuring eight photos of Pope John Paul II, the then-Cardinal Ratzinger, John Elkann on the roof of the Lingotto building, President Pertini on vacation, Italo Calvino, fashion designer Valentino in his studio, and many famous athletes).

The exhibition concludes with a section dedicated to major reportage projects: Africa, military academies in the former Soviet Union, the famine in Somalia, the Tibetan New Year, and the Kumbh Mela in India. 🔍 BIOGRAPHY

Gianni Giansanti was born in Rome in 1956. He began his career as a freelancer in 1977, and just a year later, he rose to fame with his celebrated shots of the body of the Honorable Aldo Moro—found inside the red Renault on May 9, 1978—which earned him an honorable mention at that year's World Press Photo awards.

In 1981, he joined the staff of the Sygma agency, entrusting them with the distribution of both the photographs taken during his travels with Pope John Paul II and his coverage of international news events in Poland, Haiti, Guatemala, and El Salvador. In 1999, he turned his attention to political life in Rome; for months, he roamed the halls of Montecitorio, becoming the first photographer to gain access to the unofficial, day-to-day life of the Chamber of Deputies. In addition to photographing the Pope, he also captured images of many sports champions, including Ayrton Senna, Jacques Villeneuve, Alessandro Del Piero, and Adriano.

From 2002 to 2004, Giansanti focused on reportage in Africa. He made several trips to the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia in search of the origins of humanity; these journeys resulted in the publication of the book L’Ultima Africa (The Last Africa). Passed away in Rome in 2009.

💭

CONCEPT AND PROJECT: National Museum of Science and Technology and Immaginazione

CURATED BY: Chiara Mariani and Ada Masella

PRODUCTION: Andrea and Greta Giansanti for Immaginazione

TECHNICAL PARTNER: Canon Italia

IN COLLABORATION WITH: Gamma|Rapho - Palazzo Velli

UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF: Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities,

Lazio Region, Municipality of Rome

Saturday, March 30 at 6:00 PM

Press and guest opening

👉 PUBLIC INFORMATION 👈

Palazzo Velli

Piazza di S. Egidio 10 - 00153, Rome

Exhibition open daily from March 31 toApril 5

Hours: Sunday, March 31: 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Monday – Friday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM / 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Free admission

All exhibited prints will be available for purchase at the end of the exhibition.

For further information:

ask the staff on-site or send an email:

www.giansanti.com | info@giansanti.com | T 3483810528