In Syracuse, masterpieces by Antonello da Messina in dialogue with the photographic works of Marco Delogu

From April 18 to Sept. 30, 2025, the Regional Gallery of Palazzo Bellomo in Syracuse opens again to contemporary art with the exhibition Antonello da Messina. Marco Delogu, which aims to relate some of the Renaissance master ’s most celebrated works with the Roman photographer’s shots, in a visual and conceptual comparison between two eras.

Marco Delogu presents five photographic works conceived in dialogue with as many masterpieces by Antonello da Messina, an artist known for his masterful use of light and the intensity of his portraits. Inspired precisely by the use of light, compositional rigor and expressive power of the painter’s works, Delogu creates black-and-white images with a strong visual impact, using selective focus and precise cuts with the intention of creating a new vision of the subjects portrayed by Antonello da Messina and an innovative perceptual vision.

Promoted and organized by Civita Sicilia, the exhibition fits into the context of the museum, which preserves, among others, Antonello da Messina’s masterpiece TheAnnunciation, and where visitors have the opportunity to experience an unprecedented contamination between artistic photography and historical heritage, moving between ancient masterpieces and contemporary interpretations. The exhibition itinerary aims to offer three levels of interpretation of Antonello da Messina’s work: the original level of 15th-century painting, the level of photographic reinterpretation, and finally the level oftopicality, reflecting on the artistic legacy and our perception of the image.

Photographer, editor and curator, Delogu has investigated and transfigured each of Antonello da Messina’s five masterpieces in an encounter that spans centuries. The project develops a game of gazes on four levels: the subject, the painter, the photographer and the observer. These “re-portraits” are joined by six photographic works that further amplify the dialogue between past and present, revealing what is hidden in the gazes of others.

In Syracuse, masterpieces by Antonello da Messina in dialogue with the photographic works of Marco Delogu

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