The exhibition of Lawrence Beck entitled Dialogue with the Past is dedicated to Italian gardens hosted in the Ducal Palace in Sassuolo, Modena.

The current appearance of the palace takes shape from 1634 when the ancient and massive castle was transformed into a ducal residence, a prestigious place for summer holidays and a seat of the official representation of the Court. The commissioning of reconstruction and decoration belongs to Francesco I d’Este, the duke who – after the loss of Ferrara in 1598 – created a new image of Modena as a capital of the State and reported on the European political scene the Este duchy of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Due to its architecture that embellished the place in the wide valley of the Secchia river, the palace is also called “Delizia” since it represents a true jewel of baroque culture in Northern Italy.  There are fountains and green spaces, beautiful and creative decorations surrounded it.

The exhibition features eight large-scale photographs in a dialogue with the masterpieces of ancient art housed in the Palace. For the last five years, Beck has devoted his work to the theme of gardens, representing the culmination of an artistic vision that starts out from the traditional concept of photography as a form of documentary record. In this cycle, Beck focuses on the relationship between man and nature, concentrating on landscapes, where some of the most important masterpieces of Italian architecture can be found. Renowned for his large-scale photographic works, Lawrence Beck has spent years creating lasting images of natural landscapes illuminated with soft, diffused light, using the traditional method of cellulose film to photograph them, which enables him to produce results that are sometimes very different from those achieved with instant digital methods.

For further information, please visit the exhibition website: www.gallerie-estensi.beniculturali.it