About the Artist
Born in Como, Italy. Massimo was gifted a camera at the age of twelve and quickly developed a passion for photography. He studied at the London College of Printing in the 1960’s, before a career in photojournalism followed by cinematography in film and television. It was not however until he concentrated fully on his personal projects (images of people enjoying themselves on a grand scale, shot on large format), that his work gained worldwide recognition. Massimo went on to be commissioned by major publications, his work is exhibited worldwide and is held in many private and public collections. He has three published monographs and his images are included in countless other photographic books and anthologies. After 20 years honing his craft he remains just as excited by the medium and the huge amount of detail he can get from it. Massimo divides his time between Lucca in Italy and Berlin, Germany.
Client List
- Bulgari
- Fontano Milano
- Le Monde
- National Geographic
- New York Times Magazine
- The Financial Times
- The New Yorker
- The New York Times
- Travel & Leisure
- Time Magazine
- Vilebrequin
- Visionaire
- Vogue Italia
- Wallpaper
Books
Steidl Verlag
2011
In the first volume of Landscape with Figures published in 2004, Massimo Vitali showed his entire oeuvre from the nineties, broadening the scope of his survey of beaches and discos to include skiing resorts and swimming pools from across the globe. Since 2007 Vitali has modified his perspective, shifting between an architectural background and a volume Natural Habitats, comprises seventy photographs, spanning from 2004 to 2009 - also includes a “genealogical tree” of his photographs: 120 thumbnail images which make visual connections by color, composition and time.
Steidl Verlag
2004
Massimo Vitali’s large-scale color images apply a topographical clarity and wealth of detail to the rites and rituals of modern leisure. With this volume, he enlarges the scope of his survey and includes beaches and discos from around the world, plus a couple of ski resorts and swimming pools thrown in for good fun.
Steidl Verlag
2000
From atop a homemade platform 12 to 15 feet high, Massimo Vitali observed and photographed his Italian compatriots on the beach, in the disco, at airports and in shopping areas. In the process he created razor-sharp, detailed photos that consciously borrow from genre painting of the 19th century.
Exhibitions & Events
Solo Exhibitions
Museo Ettore FicoTurin, Italy
La FabParis, France
MazzoleniLondon, UK
SpiralTokyo, Japan
Benrubi GalleryNew York
Guido & Schoen Arte ContemponaniaGenoa
Crown Gallery, Knokke-ZouteBelgium
Ronchini GalleryLondon
Hilger NextVienna
Studio La CittaVerona, Italy
Erich Lindenberg Art FoundationPorza, Switzerland
Palazzo TadeaSpilimbergo
Bonni Benrubi GalleryNew York
Reggio EmiliaItaly
Sanary Sur MerFrance
Bonni Benrubi GalleryNew York, USA
Brancolini GrimaldiFlorence, Italy & London, UK
Baro GaleriaSao Paulo, Brazil
Festival of the PhotographersCharlottesville, USA
Galerie Ernst Hilger at Brot KunsthalleVienna, Austria
M&B GalleryLos Angeles, USA
Centro de Arte Santa MonicaBarcelona, Spain
Bonni Benrubi GalleryNew York, USA
Dogenhaus Galerie’Leipzig, Germany
Hilger ContemporaryVienna, Austria
FOAM MuseumAmsterdam, The Netherlands
Core ClubNew York, USA
Bonni Benrubi GalleryNew York
Somerset HouseLondon
Galeria SendaBarcelona, Spain
Crown GalleryBrussels, Belgium
M&B Fine ArtLos Angeles, USA
ArtCore GalleryToronto, Canada
Jackson Fine ArtAtlanta, USA
The ColumnsSeoul, South Korea
MBFALos Angeles
Hilger ContemporaryVienna, Austria
M&BLos Angeles, USA
Brancolini Grimaldi Art ContemporaneaRome, Italy
Galeria SendaBarcelona, Spain
Arles, France
Bonni Benrubi GalleryNew York
Lentos KuntsmuseumLinz, Austria
La FabricaMadrid, Spain
Aula de Cultura BBKBilbao, Spain
Centro per L’Arte Contemporanea Luigi PeccaPrato, Italy
Galerie HilgerVienna, Austria
Bonni Benrubi GalleryNew York
MB Fine ArtLos Angeles, USA
Cinametique de CorsePorto Vecchio, Italy
Cite Pietramarina, Ville di PietrabugnoFrance
The Photographers GalleryLondon
Centre Cultural Una VoltaBastia, Corsica
Arles, France
Galerie ConsArcChiasso, Switzerland
Historisches Archiv der StadtKoeln, Germany
Selected Group Exhibitions
Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la MéditerranéeMarseille, France
Centro Internazionale di FotografiaPalermo, Italy
Guidi Schoen ContemporeneaGeneva, Italy
Marcello Farabegoli Projects @ The Italian EmbassyMetternich Palace, Vienna
The Delaware ContemporaryDelaware, USA
Musée d’Art de la Province d’HainautCharleroi, Belgium
L’Italiaci Guarda, MAXXIRome, Italy
Villa Omo e ComoComo, Italy
Eduardo Secci ContemporaryFirenzi, Italy
Somerset HouseLondon
Benrubi GalleryMiami, Florida, USA
Grand Palais (Benrubi Gallery)Paris, France
Studio La CityVerona, Italy
Westport Arts CenterWestport, USA
25 Years of Galleria ClairefontaineLuxembourg
La Maison GuerlainParis, France
Bracolini GrimaldiLondon, UK
Palazzo RealeMilan, Italy
Corcoran Gallery of ArtWashington, USA
Photo Espana, Royal Botanical GardensMadrid, Spain
Corsica, France
CRAFPordenone, Italy
Bass MuseumFlorida, USA
Design SightTokyo, Japan
Centre National de l’Audiovisual’Luxembourg
Museo D’Arte ContemporaneaRome, Italy
Museum of the SeamJerusalem, Israel
Yancey Richardson GalleryNew York, USA
Nelson-Atkins MuseumKansas City, USA
Neuhoff Edelman GalleryNew York, USA
Centre Georges PompidouParis, France
The Samuel P Harn Museum of Art, University of FloridaGainsville, Florida, USA
Tate ModernLondon, UK
Centro PecciPrato, Italy
Centre Cultural Français des DamasSyria
Crown GalleryBrussels, Belgium
Les Chateau d’eau ToulouseFrance
National Museum of Contemporary ArtBuccarest, Romania
Guidi & SchoenGenova, Italy
Fondazione Adriano OlivettiRome, Italy
Galleria CivicaModena, Italy
Palazzo delle Papesse Centro d’Arte ContemporaneaSiena, Italy
Kunstmuseum WolfsburgGermany