An Italian in London. Michele Bella, director of Galleria Valeria Bella, the first Italian gallery to be selected among the 80 leading international galleries to participate in Photo London, from 19 to 22 May 2016 at Somerset House, will not have time to visit the Big Ben. He’s busy bringing the best of Italian vintage photography to a growing exhibition.
‘Photo London, is going to be the next Paris Photo and it’s already one of the three most important photography exhibition in the world’, says Michele Bella, ‘The selection process has been very hard, but it’s extremely rewarding to be among the three Italian galleries’.
Italian photography is not well known beyond its borders. ‘We have great photographers’, Michele continues. ‘But so far they have been famous and sought after by collectors mainly in Italy. Luigi Ghirri, for example. His quotations have raised a lot and international galleries start to appreciate him. We’ll bring to Photo London six of his vintage photos’.
Any new names to be launched into the international market? ‘Ugo Mulas. We have two photos by him, and for a collector they can represent an excellent investment’. Prices are not high but Mulas will soon be internationally recognised’.
The gallery will have a mix of big players of Italian photography of the 50s, such as Mario Dondero, Mario Giacomelli and Nino Migliori, worldwide famous names, such as Henry Cartier-Bresson, Wim Wenders and Vivian Maier, and new photographers such as Bruno Cattani and Francesco Bosso.
Photo London opens on 19 May through 22 May at Somerset House.
