A marvellous, evocative place where you can look at the most astonishing and amazing turns, the circus is always very charming. Suspense, big tops, dirt floors and sawdust, glitters and ceruse: a place where everything seems possible. Like in a picture by Chagall, characters wrapped in a unique atmosphere of colours, sounds and fragrances make dreams come true: zero gravity, nimble and precise movements, bravery that can tame wild beasts to perform unusual turns, nevertheless unbelievably true.

Massimo Siragusa photographed the biggest circuses as well the little ones. Taking photojournalism as a starting point, he has tried to express the magical atmosphere of dreams using saturated colours and focusing most of all on movements and light. An innovative use of the camera, an hypersensitive film and a special talent for experimenting with colours and forms led to make this series of beautiful images, which picture a stylised trapezist, elephant or horse making them appear just like symbols. The author has chosen to exhibit 32 big photographs with frame and passe-partout, including 10 blow-ups of 190x130 cm and 22 of 70x10 cm, which make really suggestive effects, just like in the middle of a show. Il cerchio magico was awarded several prizes, among which the prestigious World Press Photo 1999 for the category Arts. Now the public can visit the exhibition realised by Contrasto in association with Canon Italia as well as look up the brochure published by Contrasto Due.

The opening of the exhibition hosted at SpazioFoto Credito Artigiano will be also an opportunity for people fond of photography to present their works and to try Canon new products during the Canon day. In fact, on June 9 from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Canon is spending a day to analyse in-depth subjects and techniques concerning the field of photography and reportage. The agenda includes: presentation of the best works; check up of the Canon equipment under the supervision of experts; trial of Canon products and opportunity to look at the latest ones.

Anyone interested in taking part in the Canon Day must call 06/328281 for bookings.

Massimo Siragusa

Born in Catania in 1958, Massimo Siragusa started his career as a professional photographer in 1987, after he had studied politics at Catania University. In 1989 he was mentioned in the Italian selection of the European Kodak Award for a series of underwater portraits.

In 1990, he moved to Milan where he started collaboration with Contrasto, intensifying his activity as a press photographer. He realised numerous photo reportages in Italy and abroad, focusing above all on some aspects of social life: e.g. the Vatican - in fact he followed the Pope in his travels and documented various aspects of the clerical life; Italy's political life; the birth of the second Republic.

His photos appeared in international magazines and newspapers, among which Blanco y Negro, Die Zeit, El Pais, Geo (Germany and Japan), Le Figarò Magazine, Mediterranée, New York Time Magazine, Newsweek, Sette, Travel Leisure, Time, US News and Village.

In June 1992 he took part in a competition organised by the CGIL on the theme "Il lavoro che cambia"(Jobs that change) and was awarded a prize for a reportage on the Italian miners' life. In 1994 he started working on aspects of the religious fanaticism in Italy and in 1996 he realised another reportage on the world of dancing (waltz, flamenco and ballroom dancing).

At 1997 World Press Photo he was placed second in the category Daily Life with a reportage entitled Bisogno di un miracolo (need for a miracle). In March of the same year Massimo Siragusa exhibition entitled Giri di Valzer (waltz) was hosted at Milan Galleria Leica Polyphoto

In 1997 the exhibition entitled (search for a miracle) was hosted at Turin VII Biennial Photo exhibition, which was organised by the Italian Foundation for photography and opened in September 1997.

His latest work - Circus - was recently placed first at the last World Press Photo selection in the category Arts.

In the last few years Siragusa has been working also as a portraitist and ad-photographer of famous campaigns (e.g. Lavazza, IGP, Kodak, ENI).

At present, Massimo Siragusa lives in Rome and in Catania, where he teaches photography at the Academy of Fine arts. He works with Contrasto.