National and international media on Xposure 26

Firenze, 28th April 2026

Critical Reflections on “The Shape of Memories” at Xposure

The 10th edition of the Xposure Festival has sparked a wide and stimulating dialogue around contemporary photography. I am deeply honoured by the attention that “The Shape of Memories” has received from both the national and international press following the event.
Reading the interpretations of critics and journalists offers a new perspective on my own work, highlighting the tension between reality and memory that I have explored for the past 15 years.
Here are some excerpts and thoughts from the press coverage of my solo exhibition and talk in Sharjah.

Between Reality and Perception: The Italian Perspective
It was an honour to be featured in major Italian publications alongside incredible photojournalists who document the urgent realities of our world.

Exibart
“Riccardo Magherini closes this journey with ‘The Shape of Memories’, a research that falls within the realm of fine art and conceptual photography. […] Photography thus becomes a device for memory and perception, questioning the linearity of time and the stability of space. The image does not document a place or an event, but offers itself as a fragment of experience, open to multiple and subjective readings.”
– Elena Pizzato [Read the full article on Exibart]

Corriere della Sera
“Riccardo Magherini is the interpreter of a fine art photography that works on the boundaries of perception. His layered and abstract compositions transform fragments of experience into complex visual narratives, where space and memory blur, telling the story of Southeast Asian cities: a sort of road trip where the superimposition of images generates a new, sometimes alienating, cultural climate.”
– Mauro Pigozzo [Read the full article on Corriere della Sera]

The Method of Memory: International Echoes
During the festival, I had the privilege of holding a talk titled “The Shape of Memories: A Journey Through Perception, Place, & Image.” I was thrilled to see the local and international press focus heavily on the creative process I shared on stage.

Sharjah 24 and the Sharjah Government Media Office provided an in-depth look at my methodology, tracing my evolution from the electric estrangement of Tokyo to the quiet, earthy tones of Hanoi. They beautifully summarized the core of my philosophy:

“Each series is a distinct chapter in an evolving approach to image-making that treats photography not as a single captured moment, but as something reconstructed from memory and perception… The idea is not to freeze time, but to build it slowly, through the brain, the way it is remembered.” [Read the full recap of the Talk on Sharjah24]

Looking Forward
Reading these words gives me an immense sense of gratitude.
I want to thank the journalists, critics, and the entire team at @xposurexpf for giving my work such a profound reading.

As I organize my archives and prepare for my next artistic target, these echoes from Sharjah will definitely travel with me.

(You can read more about my personal experience at Xposure in my previous posts).

The Shape of Memories: A Journey Through Perception, Place, & Image
Xposure 26