Dawit L. Petros: Prospetto a Mare

Published on the occasion of the eponymous exhibition curated by Karen Irvine at the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago (MoCP), Dawit L. Petros: Prospetto a Mare delves into the artist’s ongoing examination of the complex connections between Italy, East Africa, Libya, and North America—particularly Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia.

This publication, which accompanied the exhibition, explores how colonialism and cultural memory are inscribed into Chicago’s visual and architectural landscape. Petros’s inquiry aligns with MoCP’s mission, contributing to urgent dialogues around visual culture, history, identity, and society.

The book features insightful essays by Lindsay Caplan, Teresa Fiore, Ruth Iyob, Cristina Lombardi-Diop, and Onur Öztürk, who reflect on themes of colonialism, modernism, migration, and memory. Together, these texts deepen the reader’s engagement with Prospetto a Mare and its broader global resonances.