Matèria present In Plain Sight: Photography, Power and Public Space in Britain, an exhibition of photographic works, co-curated in dialogue with Christiane Monarchi.
Through the intersection of language and the use of public space, the exhibition explores photography as a transformative site for action and a declaration of intent—whether political, cultural, or personal. Selected photographs from Karen Knorr’s series Country Life (1983–1985) will be on view alongside works by Anna Fox, Jermaine Francis, Sunil Gupta, MacDonaldStrand, Sarah Pickering, John Stezaker, and Bettina von Zwehl.
At its core, In Plain Sight is both a reflection on Britain’s rich photographic landscape and a testament to its profound contributions to social discourse with a particular focus on the last twenty years. Bringing together the work of eight lens-based artists, the exhibition opens a dialogue with specific histories of the United Kingdom which continue to influence visual culture today. The photographs, video and sculptural works included from these UK-based artists oscillate between fiction and document, while conceptually grounded in the experience and existential analysis of contemporary culture in Britain, where it originated and from where it ventures abroad.
The exhibition also resonates with the history of Matèria itself,tracing back to the formative years its director, Niccolò Fano, spent in the UK during the 2000s. More than a survey, this selection is deeply personal, shaped by the artistic influences and relationships built during that time—most notably, the long-standing dialogue with curator and editor Christiane Monarchi, with whom Fano has collaborated on multiple occasions and the ongoing relationship with artists Karen Knorr and Sunil Gupta, both featured in the exhibition.
