Martin Parr's bathers arrive in Livorno. The exhibition at Villa Mimbelli

From Sept. 25 to Dec. 12, 2021, the Granaries of Villa Mimbelli in Livorno will host Life’s a beach, an exhibition by Martin Parr (Epsom, 1952), a British artist recognized as one of the greatest contemporary photographers, capable of transforming documentary photography into art photography through an extremely original point of view and an exaggerated use of color. The exhibition, which had been skipped due to the Covid emergency, has been rescheduled and the Livorno public will thus be able to see fifty-six photographs that tell the story of the world of bathers in their free time, as they lie in the sun, without “defenses,” in their bathing suits, while relaxing.

The exhibition is curated by Serafino Fasulo and takes on multiple meanings related to Livorno, a city of the sea that has always made bathing a way of life. It is promoted by the Carlo Laviosa Foundation in co-partnership with the City of Livorno and the Magnum agency in Paris.

“Martin Parr,” explains Serafino Fasulo, “is a reporter of everyday life, a worker of the gaze, who photographs habits and customs that tell the human soul, unmasking the clichés behind which triviality, grotesqueness and degraded culture are often hidden. He is able to see what we are addicted to and put us in front of a mirror that returns an image that is anything but gratifying. He manages to find great themes of reflection on the human condition with a humor that borders on sarcasm, placing us, for once, not in front of other people’s vices but our own.”

Opening hours: Thursdays and Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. The exhibition has free admission.

Pictured is one of Martin Parr’s bathers.

Martin Parr's bathers arrive in Livorno. The exhibition at Villa Mimbelli

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