An exhibition spotlighting the photography of Fan Ho, renowned for his mid-20th century depictions of Hong Kong, opened on September 11 at the Palazzo Falletti di Barolo, a 17th-century Baroque palace in Turin, Italy. The show, titled “Fan Ho. Il Maestro della Fotografia di Hong Kong,” presents around 100 of Ho’s works and represents one of the most comprehensive displays of his photography in Europe to date.
Curated by Elisa Maupas, who has previously organized notable photography exhibitions in Turin, the collection was developed in collaboration with Sarah Van Ingelgom of Hong Kong’s Blue Lotus Gallery, the exclusive representative of Ho’s estate. Maupas noted Turin’s historic connection to photography as a driving force behind the exhibition, recalling the city’s status as the site of Italy’s earliest photographs and its role in fostering early camera clubs. This longstanding tradition of photographic arts prompted Maupas to bring a global perspective to Turin’s art scene, highlighting a name that, until now, has mainly gained recognition in Hong Kong and the United States.
Ho’s photography, predominantly rendered in black and white, captures the daily life and social fabric of Hong Kong during the 1950s and 1960s through a distinctive use of light, shadow, and geometric composition. Unlike the vibrant street photography of contemporaneous Italian artists such as Gianni Berengo Gardin and Paolo di Paolo—whose work highlighted the post-World War II transformation of Italy with an emphasis on human emotion—Ho’s images emphasize a contemplative, almost meditative atmosphere. Photographs like *Coolies and Hawkers* (1958) and *Different Directions* (1958) portray the urban density of Hong Kong as a space of hidden harmony, while *Private* (1960) explores themes of intimacy and spatial boundaries through an image of a couple framed by a window above a street sign.
The exhibition is staged within the ornate setting of Palazzo Barolo, where the contrast between the palace’s opulent Baroque interiors and Ho’s minimalist black-and-white photographs invites viewers to engage closely with his visual narrative. Maupas acknowledged the deliberate choice to mount the photos on gallery panels rather than directly on the palace walls, allowing the works and their luxurious surroundings to coexist without competing for attention. According to both curators, this dialogue between venue and imagery enhances the overall visitor experience.
Beyond this exhibition, Turin has increasingly become a hub for Asian art, although public interest in Eastern aesthetics often centers on traditional forms like Ukiyo-e and Jingdezhen porcelain. The Fan Ho retrospective contributes to a growing trend of situating contemporary and modern East Asian creativity within broader global art conversations, offering Italian audiences a chance to explore shared human experiences expressed through different cultural and temporal lenses.
Fan Ho himself had a previous connection to Italy, having met the filmmaker Federico Fellini decades earlier at Cinecittà studios in Rome—a milestone that marked his personal artistic journey. This exhibition, occurring posthumously, affords Ho a renewed opportunity to engage with international audiences, presenting Hong Kong’s dynamic history through his singular photographic vision.