The Space In Between By Margherita Chiarva
A darkroom as a creative womb. Photograms made with condoms. A soundscape by Toni Castells. An invitation to see something you weren't supposed to see. Margherita Chiarva's practice demands that you slow down and turn your vision inwards.
Presenting The Space In Between at Mondo Galeria · Exhibition curated by AD Studio · Soundscape by composer Toni Castells
Margherita Chiarva challenges our culturally constructed concept of photography, disrupts the grammar of her discipline, and demands we slow down and turn our vision inwards — creating our own perception of reality or clearing space for new alternative future visions.
Born in Milan, she grew up between Milan and Ibiza, graduating from Central Saint Martins in London. In 2014, she formed a collective based in Istanbul and since then has worked manually with analogous methods — exploring the medium not as documentation but as a ceremonial, subconscious act.
Her photographic journey is based on an investigation of manual techniques and personal revelation through images. The idea of her work stems from the interaction with materials — the sea, chemicals — and from creative research that is more like excavation than production.
Chiarva conceives an "organic style" where process and matter lead the work, not the other way around. The darkroom is not a technical space for her — it is a creative womb, a solitary zone of free flow. The work that emerges is not fixed; it invites the viewer to complete it.
"My creative process usually develops in the darkroom — where I focus on bringing together my exploration into the subconscious through light and chemicals in a safe, solitary zone. A sort of creative womb where I feel free to let the creative process flow."
Tell us your greatest inspirations.
Everything can be an inspiration if we look carefully.
Tell us about your creative process for this exhibition.
My creative process usually develops in the darkroom, where I focus on bringing together my exploration into the subconscious through light and chemicals in a safe, solitary zone. A sort of creative womb where I feel free to let the creative process flow.
Like when you look at a cloud and see an elephant, for example.
Many people in the art world don't take photography as seriously as other forms of art. What are your thoughts?
As you well said — we are talking about mediums. As such, they should just serve the purpose and not be considered art for their technical attributes. So as soon as one's idea or feeling is translated into whatever form, shared and perceived, then we can call it art.
That's why I've been working on abstract forms, creating new realities that will guide the mind to imagine rather than being manipulated with half-truths and shameless fictions that we often encounter in this digital era.
What are some themes you explore in your work?
About your collaboration with Toni Castells for the exhibition?
Toni is a great musician and composer and a very special being and I'm honored and happy to have been collaborating with him.
In Between
A series of photograms made with condoms — a 1:1 scale negative record of a shadow. The medium is unexpected; the effect is profoundly human. The work invites the viewer to complete it, to project meaning, to see what they already carry.
The exhibition was completed by a soundscape created by composer Toni Castells — an audio dimension that creates an immersive environment, slowing the visitor down and opening the space between looking and seeing.
Curated by AD Studio · Mondo Galeria · ARCO Madrid 2020.
The tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern. The human face in a cloud. A figure in the grain of wood. Chiarva builds this into the work structurally — the viewer becomes the author of what they see.
"I'm interested in rituals and I use art as a medium to perform them. Even printing in the darkroom is for me a ceremonial experience, where I can explore the deepest sides of myself."
Chiarva's work challenges our culturally constructed concept of photography, disrupts the grammar of her discipline, and demands we slow down. Working in an age of infinite images — the constant bombardment of visual information, photography as self-construction rather than truth-seeking — she chose to go in the opposite direction.
Abstract forms. Manual processes. New realities that guide the mind to imagine rather than being manipulated. The darkroom as a space of freedom rather than a technical constraint.
Her photographic practice is ultimately a practice of consciousness — of paying attention to what arises when you remove the easy answers and face the vague, the ambiguous, the in-between.
"Everything that surrounds us is a spark for exploration, mostly nature, the pioneer of every art."
Margherita lives between Milan and Ibiza, and has been travelling the world. She is lucky, she says, because she gets energy from both the city and from nature — and she doesn't really separate work and life. For her, everything that surrounds us is a spark for exploration.
Discover more artists chosen for their ideas, not their visibility.
Antakly Projects is an independent platform dedicated to artists, musicians, photographers, designers, and thinkers at every stage — from emerging voices to established masters. Every interview is selected for depth, not reach.
"Creating new realities that will guide the mind to imagine rather than being manipulated with half-truths and shameless fictions."
More essays and cultural commentary from Leila Antakly — on art, photography, and the world we're paying attention to.
Read on Substack ↗Today is the first official day of Madrid’s art fair Arco 2020, and the city is buzzing with activity and excitement. There are a lot of expectations this year, particularly as last year’s attendees were impressed in terms of the quality of art work presented, the galleries exposing, international audiences coming from everywhere and the overall presentation at the fair.
One of the artists I am most looking forward to meeting this week is the Italian artist Margherita Chiarva, (1985) who is presenting her work “ The Space In Between” at Mondo Galeria.
The photographer who is from Milan, conceives an “ organic style” to her work where the idea stems from the interaction with materials ( the sea, chemicals, etc) and creative research. Graduated from Central Saint Martins in London, she formed a collective based in Istanbul in 2014 and since works manually with analogous methods. Her photographic journey is based mainly on her investigation of manual techniques and a personal revelation through images. The exhibition curated by AD Studio is completed by a soundscape created by composer Toni Castells.
Margherita tell us your greatest inspirations?
Everything can be an inspiration if we look carefully.
Tell us about your creative process for this exhibition
My creative process usually ( literally) develops in the darkroom, where I focus on bringing together my exploration into the subconcious through light and chemicals in a safe, solitary zone. A sort of creative womb where I feel free to let the creative process flow.
The space in between is a series of photograms made with condoms, basically a 1:1 scale negative record of a shadow with the intention of provoking pareidolia effect ( the tendency to interpret a vague stimulus as something known to the observer, like when you look at a cloud and see an elephant for example ).
Many people in the art world, don’t take the medium of photography as serious as other forms of art, what are your thoughts?
As you well said we are talking about mediums. As such they should just serve the purpose and not being considered art for their technical attributes. So, as soon as one’s idea or feeling is translated into whatever form, shared and perceived, then we can call it art.
Photography and its usage is changing in parallel to society. Lately I feel overwhelmed by images, we are constantly bombed by information we don’t even seek, photography has become a service to build up ideas of selves rather than picturing reality as it is.
Thats why I’ve been working on abstract forms, creating new realities that will guide the mind to imagine rather than being manipulated with half-truths and shameless fictions that we often encounter in this digital era.
What are some themes you explore in your work?
I’m interested in rituals and I use art as a medium to perform them. Even printing in the darkroom is for me a ceremonial experience, where I can explore the deepest sides of myself.
What about your collaboration with Toni for the exhibition?
Toni is a great musician and composer and a very special being and I’m honored and happy to have been collaborating with him.
Favourite websites, social media handles?
I’d love to share something personal about your approach to life, nature, relationships?
I live between Milan and ibiza and have been traveling around the world. I am lucky because I get energy from both the city and nature and I don’t really separate work and life . Everything that surrounds us is a spark for exploration, mostly nature, the pioneer of every art.
