Marco Zanta is an Italian photographer, born in Treviso on September 1, 1962, whose work is primarily centered on the representation of urban spaces, architecture, and the industrial landscape. Since the mid-1980s, Zanta has developed a distinctive documentary approach, focusing on how cities and industrial environments are shaped, perceived, and transformed over time. Zanta’s research investigates the visual and conceptual representation of urban and industrial spaces, often exploring the relationship between architecture and its social or cultural context.
Marco Zanta represents urban spaces in his photographs as a continuous and global flow, treating the cities of the world almost as a single large city. His gaze captures the growing similarity between contemporary cities, highlighting the homologation due to the global market, but also the historical stratifications and the relationships between inhabitants and places. Often the people in his images appear as "models" inserted into imposing architectural scenography, underlining the tension between the individual and the built environment. Zanta tries to describe the city as a theater in continuous transformation, where architecture becomes a symbol and visual memory of our time. His photography highlights the contradiction between history and contemporaneity, showing an often discomposed urban landscape, with marginal green spaces and a strong presence of artificial and industrial elements. Through his work he invites the viewer to reflect critically on the social, cultural and economic dynamics that shape cities today
His photographic language is characterized by a precise, analytical gaze that captures the essence of contemporary environments, frequently highlighting the tension between presence and absence, or between built forms and the spaces they define. Notable monographs by Zanta include Rumore Rosso (Charta, 2000), UrbanEurope (Contrasto, 2008), It’s All One Song (Hartmann Books, 2022).
Zanta’s works have been exhibited internationally, including at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (Paris), Fondazione Forma (Milan), Canadian Centre for Architecture (Montreal), Espace Contretype (Brussels), Triennale di Milano, Maison de l’Architecture (Marseille), and the Venice Biennale. Alongside his artistic practice, Zanta has been active in education, teaching photography at institutions such as the IUAV University of Venice between 2006 and 2011.
He regularly leads seminars and workshops, focusing on the relationship between photography and architecture, and the evolving role of photographic language in documenting and interpreting urban transformation.
Marco Zanta is recognized for his rigorous, thoughtful approach to documentary photography, making significant contributions to the visual understanding of contemporary urban and industrial environments.
Public campaigns
Abitare sociale, un’indagine fotografica per Bologna, Urban Center, Bologna, 2016
In Principio, Città Invisibili, Porto Viro, 2015
Sin_tesis, SIFest, Savignano, 2009
Storie Urbane, Reggio Emilia, 2006
Sguardi Fotografici, Poste Italiane, Milano, 2005
Il Paesaggio Tradito, Milano, 2005
Sguardi Contemporanei, Venezia, 2004
Rappresentare il Limite, Trieste, 2004
Spaziomerci, Rubiera, 2002
Gardenia.Reggio Emilia 1996, Rubiera, 1997
Venezia-Marghera; Fotografia e trasformazioni nella città contemporanea, Venezia/Montreal, 1997
Terre a NordEst, Spilimbergo, 1996
Dixie. 10 fotografi per Milano, Milano, 1995
L’immagine della Città, Prato, 1994
Exhibitions (selection)
This is the way it is - Ragusa Foto Festival, Palazzo La Rocca, Ragusa Ibla, 2024
Archifoto 22 - Architectures & Ressources, La Chambre, Strasbourg, 2022
OMNEFEST - Beauty, Villa Bolasco, Castelfranco Veneto, 2021
A Tile, Some Milk, a Machine and Logistics – Photographs of Emilia Romagna at Work, MAST, Bologna, 2016
Tripoli talks.Unfinished works. Global Photography, SIFest, Savignano 2011
54^ Esposizione d’Arte Internazionale della Biennale di Venezia, Corderie dell’Arsenale, Venezia, 2011
Urban Semiotics, BugnoArtGallery, Venezia, 2010
Piazze di Roma, MoCA, Shanghai, 2010
Cities-Places Visionaires, Auditorium Arte, Parco della Musica, Roma, 2009
20 fotografie e 6 appunti, SIFest, Savignano, 2009
10 fotografi d’oro, Museo Diocesano, Padova 2009
UrbanEurope, Maison de l’Architecture, Marseille, 2009
UrbanEurope, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, 2008
UrbanEurope, Forma, Milano 2008
UrbanEurope, BugnoArtGallery, Venezia, 2008
De l'Europe, Prix Mosaïque, Dudelange, Luxembourg, 2007
Quarantanovegradi, Fotografia Italiana, Milano, 2006
Residence Belvedere, Settimana della Fotografia Europea, Reggio Emilia, 2006
Il Paesaggio Tradito, Galleria San Fedele, Milano, 2005
Orientalismi, Galleria Studio la Città, Verona, 2005
Sulle Apparenze, BugnoArtGallery, Venezia, 2005
Cantieri dell’Arte, Ex Cartiere Binda, Milano, 2004
Sguardi Contemporanei_50 anni di architettura italiana, 9^ Biennale Internazionale di Architettura, Venezia, 2004
Le Città Invisibili, Palazzo della Triennale, Milano, 2002
The Space Between, Linea di Confine, Rubiera, 2002
Lontano, Galleria San Fedele, Milano, 2002
Luoghi come Paesaggi, Galleria degli Uffizi, Firenze, 2000
32 Italian Photographers, C.C.A., Montreal, 1998
DNA, Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa, Venezia, 1998
Venezia–Marghera, Biennale d’Arte di Venezia, Venezia, 1997
Marco Zanta, Spazio Immagine, Bari, 1997
L’insistenza dello sguardo. Fotografie italiane 1839-1989,
Palazzo Fortuny, Venezia,1989
L’image de l’architecture, Musée des Beaux Arts, Charleroi, 1987
Publications (monographs)
It’s all one song, Hartmann Books, Stuttgart, 2022
In Principio, Linea di Confine, Rubiera, 2015
UrbanEurope, Contrasto, Roma, 2008
Quarantanovegradi, Fotografia Italiana, Milano, 2006
Upon Apparances, EdM, Firenze 2005
Europa Europa, Vianello Libri, Ponzano, 2004
Lontano, San Fedele Arte, Milano 2002
The Space Between. Photographs about Japan, Charta, Milano 2001
Red Noise, Photographs 1989-2000, Charta, Milano 2000
Iconema, Imagina, Venezia 1999
Awards
Prize Hemingway 2023, Lignano Sabbiadoro, 2023
Prize Friuli Venezia Giulia 2004, C.R.A.F. Spilimbergo, 2004
Programme Mosaique, CNA, Luxembourg, 2003
Prize Oscar Goldoni, Modena per la Fotografia, 2001
Prize Orvieto Fotografia, 2001