Turku – “Of Seas and of Fates”, the fascination of wrecks in photos by Stefano Benazzo

Stefano Benazzo, photographer, sculptor and model ship maker, exhibits his passion for wreckages after 40 years in the diplomatic career: from ambassador to artist, in the pursuit of what he defines “forlorn places”. Stefano Benazzo’s works will now be exhibited in Finland in the show entitled “Of Seas and of Fates – in the Wake of the Wind” (“Del mare e dei destini – Nel solco del vento”), which was inaugurated a few days ago at the Forum Marinum Museum of Turku and will remain open to the public until 28 August. The exhibition – promoted by the Italian Institute of Culture in Helsinki and sponsored by the Italian Navy, the Italian Embassy in Finland and the Finnish Embassy in Italy – is dedicated to the Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian Navy’s training ship, and features a series of images of stranded shipwrecks and vessels photographed by the artist. The location gives the exhibition a special significance: it will be held on the Suomen Joutsen, a three-masted sailing ship built in 1902 which long served as the Finnish training ship before being showcased at the Forum Marinum Museum, where it has now been given its permanent mooring. On show is also a model of the Vespucci, in a scale of 1:100, built by Benazzo in 1999, in addition to a series of shots he took on board the ship.