COLOGNE.- Zander Galerie is presenting its first solo exhibition of work by Italian photographer Massimo Vitali. Spanning almost three decades, the exhibition 94/22showcases large-scale images of beaches in Italy – a remarkable panorama of Vitali‘s photographic oeuvre, which explores the ambivalences of modern leisure culture.

The photographs of urban coasts and beaches were taken between 1994 and 2022. Captured with a large-format camera from an elevated vantage point, the works offer an almost painterly view of the scenes, which are populated, more or less densely, by tourists. Inspired by the compositions of Flemish and Italian Renaissance painting, Vitali uses the entire space within the frame with depth of field to create a visual tapestry of sightlines, moments and gestures. A portfolio featuring twenty selected images from the series was published this year in collaboration with Zander Galerie.

In the 1990s, Vitali became well-known for his monumental photographs of public recreational areas: beaches, bathing lakes, skiing resorts – seemingly carefree places of collective idleness. Beneath the sun-drenched surface, however, Vitali’s works reveal precise social observations. From a distance the artist examines the behaviour of tourists in these places, designated to be experienced by them. His images convey the staging of leisure time, of standardised recreation, the urge to be seen and the desire to belong.

Massimo Vitali studied Photography at the London College of Printing and initially worked as a photojournalist before committing to artistic photography in 1995. Today, he lives and works in Lucca, Italy.

Vitali’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Biennale di Venezia (2001); MAXXI, Rome; Jeu de Paume, Paris and Tate Modern, London. His works are represented in the collections of major institutions, including the Center Pompidou, Paris; Reina Sofia, Madrid; Guggenheim Museum, New York and the Deutsche Bank Collection, Frankfurt.

In 2025, Massimo Vitali will receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lucie Foundation, Los Angeles, – a recognition of his extraordinary body of work, which oscillates between documentary precision and painterly composition, transforming our perception of everyday life.