Around the Mediterranean, Massao Mascaro traces the journey of Ulysses and meets the exiles who inhabit Ceuta, Naples, Athens, Palermo, Istanbul, Tunis, and Lampedusa.

“Sub Sole (in Latin, beneath the sun), an ensemble of photographs made between 2017 and 2020, in the region of the Mediterranean Sea, follows the mythological itinerary of the voyage of Ulysses: Ceuta, Naples, Athens, Palermo, Istanbul, Tunis and Lampedusa. Crossroads of cultures, cradle of foundation myths, the Mediterranean is, today more than ever, marked by migrations, exile and displacement. Over the course of seven voyages and numerous chance encounters, Mascaro goes in search of the young people who inhabit and traverse this region. The literary narratives which the artist drew upon for his work are like the invisible companions of these photographs. They imbue the contemporary images with an ancient substance. Beneath the sun, political, economic, existential, and poetic implications intersect, beneath the harsh, hot Mediterranean light whose rhythm shapes human life.” Sonia Voss