Mezzogiorno
Italy
2026
Mezzogiorno is a photographic exploration that has unfolded over more than a decade across Southern Italy. The title is an italian word that carries a double meaning, “noon” and “the South” as a cardinal point, and is commonly used to refer to the southern region of Italy. It evokes a dual tension between time and place, light and shadow, myth and reality.
It is a investigation into landscapes, social fragility, religion and traditions, shaped through errancy, encounters, and quiet presence. Resisting nostalgia and folklore, the work documents a landscape marked by economic uncertainty, unfinished architecture, and complex social layers. Rituals, ruins, and rhythms of abandonment become signs of broader transformations.
Mezzogiorno seeks to question dominant narratives, offering a lens through which to reinterpret the present. It attempts to move beyond postcard clichés, portraying Southern Italy not as a fixed memory, but as a fractured and living reflection of contemporary dynamics. The project aims to shape a new visual language, politically aware, anthropologically grounded, and emotionally resonant.
Portfolio
About the artist
Born in 1984 in Parma, Marco Zanella lives and works in Pianello Val Tidone. Trained in 2012 as Alex Majoli’s assistant, he began travelling around southern Italy that year, which became the basis for his ongoing project. In 2018, he documented Cotignola, resulting in the book Scalandrê, published in 2021 and awarded the Amilcare G. Ponchielli Prize.