Venice | Minkkinen’s “inseparability”

Within by the photographer Arno Rafael Minkkinen is the second exhibition in the brand-new SpazioEventi La Toletta

The new Spazio Eventi La Toletta opened the doors with “Venice, 2019-2021” – the stunning solo exhibition by Michele Alassio – just a few weeks ago. Now it makes people talk once again.

As a matter of fact, it’s no coincidence that the venue’s owner Giovanni Pelizzato has precisely recurred to Alassio’s art direction to manage this unique and peculiar location. As a skilled photographer, Alassio is not a professional who usually leaves things to chance. So, from the very first days of the opening, he has already presented an exhibition schedule 2021-2022 which is worthy of the most famous galleries devoted to photography worldwide.

The second exhibition “Within” by the photographer Arno Rafael Minkkinen (Helsinki, Finland, 1945) is another remarkable demonstration of Alassio’s guideline. It’s more than clear that for the Spazio Eventi La Toletta won’t be difficult to amaze the visitor again with such a kind of high-level proposals in terms of works and authors involved.

Even outside the venue where the poster of the exhibition is already visible, a peculiar sobriety clearly arises and guides the public through the rooms during the visit too. Although Minkkiken plays the role of the subject in his own photographs, he has nothing in common with the classic idea of the self-portrait (and with the modern and trivial version of selfies as well). Actually, it can be stated without any fear to be contradicted, that the concept of self-portrait has never been so far from the artist’s intention.

As a matter of fact, the author of these extraordinary pictures – who is the pioneer of this genre– has travelled worldwide (putting himself concretely in his own pictures) for 50 years. Becoming part of the world is absolutely essential in order to make people enter his personal relationship with the surrounding environment. So his naked body – or just a part of it – is literally included (first as an idea and then as a photography technique) in (the most various) contexts which accept his presence and embody it as an added value.

A body/a stone mass between water reflections; an arm which outlines the horizon; a hand which stands out from the rocks. These details are apparently unimportant but turn into key-points to define a new reality. An imaginary one? Not at all, because we are right there to see it thanks to Minkkiken’s eyes.

This exhibition is open until the 7th of January, 2022 with the following hours: Tuesdays-Saturdays 4-7.30pm
Sundays: 11am-2pm | 2.30-6pm
Mondays off

Free admission

SpazioEventi La Toletta

Michele Alassio Photographer