Giovannino Guareschi Photographer — An Authorial Gaze in Black and White

Giovannino Guareschi Photographer — An Authorial Gaze in Black and White

From 1 April to 28 June 2026 APE Parma Museo presents the first dedicated exhibition exploring Giovannino Guareschi's photographic activity. The show focuses on black-and-white images made between 1934 and 1956, presented as digital prints to protect originals and allow detailed examination.

Photography here functions as part of a broader creative system that includes drawing and writing. Guareschi's pictures convey his personal outlook: curiosity, a strong humanistic background, rich visual culture and a distinctive ironic tone visible in landscapes, urban views and domestic scenes.

What to expect

The exhibition is arranged in thematic sections to highlight the coherence of Guareschi's vision:

• The window as a framing device, the boundary between inside and outside;
• The Bassa landscape, featuring the Po River and the Po Valley in an "anti-picturesque" mode;
• The bicycle tour made for Corriere della Sera (1941–42);
• Cities — Milan and Paris — depicted without conventional postcard sentimentality;
• Domestic scenes, where everyday objects are staged into surreal, narrative encounters.

Quotes from the artist accompany the images, reinforcing the dialogue between word and picture. The exhibition draws on items from the Archive of Roncole Verdi.

The catalogue

The show is accompanied by a catalogue by Giuseppina Benassati and Roberta Cristofori, with an introduction by Gino Ruozzi and an interview with Alberto Guareschi. The publication expands on the exhibition themes and is available at the museum bookshop.

Practical information

• Dates: 1 April 2026 - 28 June 2026
• Venue: APE Parma Museo, Strada Farini 32/a, 43121 Parma (PR), Italy
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30 - 17:30
• Admission: full €8, reduced €5
• Organiser: Fondazione Monteparma / APE Parma Museo
• Curator: Carla Dini
• Info & bookings: tel. +39 0521 203413 | [email protected]
• Further details: apeparmamuseo.it

Visitor tip: the digital reproductions allow close study of negatives and contact prints that the artist left behind. The exhibition suits those interested in historical photography and the interplay between image and text. Check the museum website for guided tours and updates before visiting.