La vie en Dondero — Mario Dondero photographer

A Jesi tribute to a witness of the 20th century

In the spring of 2026, the Civic Museums of Palazzo Pianetti, in the heart of Jesi's historic center (Province of Ancona, Marche), will host "La vie en Dondero", a retrospective exhibition dedicated to Mario Dondero (Milan 1928 - Petritoli 2015), one of the most significant figures in international photojournalism and an adopted son of the Marche region. The exhibition, set up in the "Betto Tesei" Exhibition Halls, features a selection of shots retracing the career of an artist who was a protagonist in the history of the late 20th century.

Who was Mario Dondero

Born in Milan in 1928, Dondero participated in the Resistance at a very young age and frequented the vibrant group of Milanese artists known as the "Giamaicani." In 1954, he moved to Paris, where he collaborated with major publications such as Le Monde and Le Nouvel Observateur. His camera took him to Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Soviet Union, documenting dictatorships, conflicts, and social movements with an always profoundly human perspective. Among his most famous shots is the group portrait of the Nouveau Roman writers in front of Éditions de Minuit. From 1998, he chose to live in the Marche region, in Fermo, where the Provincial Phototheque now preserves his immense archive.

What to see at the exhibition

The exhibition path presents images ranging from Spain and Portugal still under the dictatorships of Franco and Salazar to shots from May 1968 in France, in a photographic narrative of European history. The exhibition is not just a display of images: during the opening, in the evocative Galleria degli Stucchi, the volume "Mille parole. Scritti sparsi" (Edizioni Affinità Elettive, 2025) will be presented, collecting articles, notes, and reflections written by Dondero throughout his long career.

A collective project for the territory

The initiative is promoted by the Municipality of Jesi together with the Altidona Belvedere Association, the Mario Dondero Archive, the Provincial Phototheque of Fermo, and the Massimo Ferretti Photographic Circle, curated by Laura Strappa and Francesco Pascali. The exhibition is part of the broader celebrations that the Marche region dedicates to the photographer on the tenth anniversary of his death, confirming the deep bond between Dondero and his adopted land.