The MNAA and the Italian Institute of Culture in Lisbon present the new temporary exhibition: «Jodice - Canova. Photographic exhibition by Mimmo Jodice». Promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the exhibition will take place in the Museum's Temporary Exhibition Gallery from September 7th until October 29th, 2023.

The exhibition places two Italian artists from different eras in dialogue: Antonio Canova (1757-1822), one of the greatest sculptors of neoclassicism; and Mimmo Jodice (b. Naples, 1934), one of the greatest interpreters of contemporary Italian and international photography. It combines the ideal and the real, the body and soul, matter, and image.
In the 51 black and white photographic images captured since the beginning of the 1990s, Mimmo Jodice interprets 21 sculptures by Canova, tracing the main creative moments of the sculptor in a dialogue between artistic languages with a strong visual impact.
He selects glimpses and points of view, maintaining a 1:1 scale between the sculptural detail in focus and the size of the photographic print. He seeks a visceral connection with Canova, with his vision, with his creative process and, by approaching the sculptures, revives the natural body, exalts the softness of the flesh, and brings them back to life.
Antonio Canova tried to achieve the absolute idea of Beauty, according to the neoclassical principles of pure form, devoid of any kind of passion, torment and excess. Jodice, through his photographs, rediscovers this static tension, the beauty and lightness of the characters, and emphasizes these elements by focusing on some details and zooming in on the faces, seeking intensity, and giving new life to works of art by turning them into his own creations.