From 13 September 2019 to 6 January 2020, the Exhibition Hall of the Galleria Estensi of Modena hosts the Leggere (read) exhibition by Steve McCurry, one of the most internationally celebrated photographers for his ability to interpret the time and the current society.

The exhibition, promoted by the Galleria Estensi Modena, organized by Civita Mostre e Musei, curated by Biba Giacchetti, with the literary contributions of the writer Roberto Cotroneo, presents 70 images, dedicated to the universal passion for reading, created by the American artist (Philadelphia , 1950) in forty years of career and which include the series that he himself brought together in a volume, published as a tribute to the great Hungarian photographer André Kertész, one of his masters.

The shots depict people from all over the world, absorbed in the intimate act of reading, captured by the aim of McCurry who testify to his ability to transport them to imagined worlds, in memories, in the present, in the past and in the future and in the mind of man.

The contexts are the most varied, from the places of prayer in Turkey, to the streets of the markets in Italy, from the noises of India to the silences of East Asia, from Afghanistan to Cuba, from Africa to the United States. These are images that document moments of quiet during which people immerse themselves in books, newspapers and magazines. Young or old, rich or poor, religious or lay; for anyone and wherever there is a moment for reading.

In a sort of parallel path, the photographs are accompanied by a series of literary passages chosen by Roberto Cotroneo. A counterpoint of words dedicated to reading alongside McCurry's shots, involving the visitor in an intimate and direct relationship with reading and images.

The exhibition is completed by the section Read McCurry, dedicated to books published since 1985 with the photos of Steve McCurry, many of which have been translated into various languages: 15 are on display, some of which are nowhere to be found, along with the most recent, including the volume published by Mondadori which inspired the realization of this exhibition. All the books are accompanied by the photos used for the covers, which are often the icons that made him famous throughout the world.