We are proud to present the American debut of Italian photographer, Francesco Pergolesi (b. 1975, Venice), in a one-person exhibition, Heroes. The show opens May 6 and runs through July 1, 2016.

There will be an opening reception with the artist on Friday, May 6, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Francesco Pergolesi was raised in Spoleto, a small Italian village filled with artisan shops and small businesses. Now splitting his time between Spoleto and Barcelona, Pergolesi creates photographic tableaus inspired by memories from his past: narrow cobblestone streets, the sound of a hammer coming from the open door of a shoemaker; the smell of fresh bread from a baker, the steady beat of a sewing machine from an open window, the smell of old paper in a used bookstore. In Pergolesi’s world, these sights and smells drive his art making, as he seeks to preserve the past, before big-box and chain stores arrive. As he says:

“When I was a child, I used to walk free, exploring my village streets. I loved to spend time in the little cobbler or the grocery where my grandmother sent me to shop. Time seemed to be extended and gave me a sense of freedom. I grew up loving neighborhoods where human relationships were the center of life. I understood these places were disappearing, pushed by a mysterious force, and a new era was coming.”