by InTrieste
A quiet gaze from a child on a busy street, the piercing stare of a refugee, faces that reveal worlds unseen. Few photographers capture the essence of humanity like Steve McCurry. This winter, the city of Trieste will be home to “Steve McCurry: Gazes of the World,” a major retrospective on the renowned American photographer. Opening November 15 at the Salone degli Incanti and running through May 4, 2025, the exhibition will guide visitors through over 150 works spanning McCurry’s career, including both iconic and previously unseen pieces.
The exhibition is part of a wider initiative, Go!2025&Friends, a year-long celebration that surrounds Nova Gorica-Gorizia’s role as the 2025 European Capital of Culture. As the borders of this northern Italian city brush Slovenia, Trieste and its neighboring areas have made it a mission to deepen their international cultural footprint. The programming includes international art exhibitions, concerts, and cross-border events, expanding beyond Gorizia to engage the entire Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
McCurry’s Trieste exhibition offers viewers a global journey through his lens—a masterful storyteller capturing the depths of the human experience. Curated by Biba Giacchetti with artistic direction from Gianni Mercurio, the exhibition unfolds across cultures and continents, documenting scenes from India, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Africa, and more. “If you wait, people forget your camera and their soul emerges,” McCurry famously said. This patience, woven into his approach, allows his subjects to reveal themselves candidly.
Among the collection are McCurry’s widely recognized works, including the haunting 1984 portrait of Sharbat Gula, the “Afghan girl” whose fierce, green-eyed gaze became an indelible symbol of refugee resilience. New and unseen pieces add depth to the exhibition: a young Afghan child at work, a Nigerian woman with ritual scars, children running through Madagascar’s baobab forests, and a man from Togo with his face painted blue. Each image reflects McCurry’s commitment to honoring his subjects’ dignity, regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances.
A Visual Journey through Humanity
The exhibition itself is designed to be as evocative as McCurry’s subjects. Located in the expansive central hall of the Salone degli Incanti, a former fish market turned art gallery on the city’s waterfront, the layout places images along a sculpted, continuous wall. This immersive design invites viewers to move freely among the works, following no set path but that which their own gaze—and curiosity—dictate. Visitors can explore images that delve into themes of spirituality, conflict, joy, and wonder, creating an ever-shifting mosaic of emotions and experiences.
Each photograph brings to light McCurry’s deep engagement with his subjects, capturing human expressions that seem, at times, to meet the observer’s gaze, establishing a dialogue across time and place. “Steve McCurry: Gazes of the World” offers visitors more than a display of photos; it’s an opportunity to experience McCurry’s exploration of universal human truths through an empathetic and undistracted lens.
Trieste, a crossroads of culture and history, is a fitting stage for McCurry’s work, which transcends geographic boundaries and cultural divisions. In an increasingly interconnected world, his images remind us of our shared humanity, honoring lives in all their richness and complexity.
With McCurry’s Trieste exhibition and the city’s broader Go!2025&Friends program, Friuli Venezia Giulia is positioned to make its mark on the European cultural landscape. As this multifaceted showcase of art, music, and photography continues to unfold, it invites visitors from around the world to experience a region celebrating both its heritage and its role on the world stage.
“Steve McCurry: Gazes of the World” is on view at the Salone degli Incanti from November 15, 2024, to May 4, 2025. Tickets are available at the venue and online.
