Massimo Vitali at Artissima 2026

Intesa Sanpaolo brings to Artissima 2026, the International Contemporary Art Fair, a selection of works by Massimo Vitali, one of the most original and influential figures in Italian fine art photography.

Since the 1990s, the artist has developed a body of work centred on spaces of social interaction, transforming them into open-air stages for observing human behaviour.

Taken from elevated vantage points using large-format cameras, his photographs encompass vast portions of landscape and capture hundreds of figures. Human presence is always central, yet no individual occupies the centre of the scene: the focus shifts from the individual to the crowd, examining the relationships, gestures and habits that shape collective life.

In his celebrated beach series, which brought him international recognition, colour, light and perspective combine to create visually striking images suspended between documentation and fiction.

Vitali’s beaches are far more than photographs of holiday destinations. They are large-scale sociological and anthropological tableaux that explore human behaviour during moments of mass leisure, as exemplified by the diptych Santa Maria al Bagno, 2010, recently acquired by Intesa Sanpaolo.

His work will be the subject of a major exhibition at Gallerie d’Italia - Turin in 2027.