Jakopič Gallery presents An Anthology, a landmark exhibition dedicated to the work of Paolo Pellegrin, part of our ongoing series showcasing master photographers of our time. This exhibition brings together decades of Pellegrin’s work in a non-chronological narrative, exploring the emotional and visual connections across his major photographic series.
The exhibition opens in darkness, with haunting images from Gaza, where light filters into interiors only through bullet holes—evoking lives marked by violence and fragility. It ends in the whiteness of Antarctica, where silent fissures in the ice gesture toward hidden ruptures and environmental threat. Between these two extremes—light and shadow, black and white—Pellegrin presents a vast emotional spectrum of human experience.
An Anthology guides visitors through conflict zones and disaster areas—from Kosovo in 1999, to the second intifada in Palestine, the Iraq War, Darfur, the tsunami in Southeast Asia, and the Israeli bombings in Lebanon. His long-standing engagement with Gaza (2009, 2012) stands as one of the most deeply committed visual records of life under siege.
Beyond the battlefield, Pellegrin has documented the journeys of migrants across the Mediterranean (2015), the destruction of Mosul and Syria (2016), and, more recently, the quiet mourning rituals in war-torn Ukraine (2022–2023). His images rarely dwell on combat itself. Instead, they highlight what remains—grief, endurance, and shared humanity.
His lens also turns toward the Earth itself: the vulnerability of polar landscapes (Antarctica, 2017) and the fury of wildfires in Australia (2022). These images ask urgent questions about our relationship with the planet and the fragility of what we take for granted.
The exhibition includes photographs, videos, and a selection of vintage prints, drawn from Pellegrin’s own archive and that of Magnum Photos, which also co-produced the exhibition. A comprehensive monograph, Event Horizon, published by Marsilio Arte, accompanies the show and is available to visitors.

About the Author

Paolo Pellegrin (b. 1964, Rome) is one of Italy’s most influential contemporary photojournalists and a key figure in global documentary photography. A full member of Magnum Photos since 2005, he has reported from some of the world’s most volatile regions for over three decades. His work spans conflicts, humanitarian crises, and environmental disasters, always with a distinctive visual style that combines powerful chiaroscuro with emotional depth.
Pellegrin has received numerous international awards, including eleven World Press Photo prizes and the prestigious Robert Capa Gold Medal. His photography is recognized for its humanistic focus—revealing not only the suffering and devastation of war but also the quiet dignity, resilience, and hope that emerge in its wake. Whether documenting migration across the Mediterranean, war-torn cities, or the effects of climate change, Pellegrin remains committed to bearing witness and telling stories that demand our attention.

Paolo Pellegrin: An Anthology
June 24 – November 3, 2025
Jakopič Gallery – Ljubljana – Slovenia

More info:
https://mgml.si/en/jakopic-gallery/
https://www.magnumphotos.com/