Mimi Mollica is a Sicilian artist living and working in London
Episode 496: Mimi Mollica, a dear friend and colleague, joins me to speak about his new book Moon City, which, in full declaration, I wrote one of the texts for, alongside eminent British author Iain Sinclair, which I am tempted to say, I am over the moon about.
If you have lived in London or worked in Europe long enough in the field of photography, it is highly likely that you might bump into Mimi at a fair, review, or opening. He is kind to the point of being questioned, an authentic and real artist and great person who, like the best of them, also makes it a point to be in service to those who are coming through as an educator and mentor. I really can’t say enough about his personality. And then there is Moon City, published by Dewi Lewis and Mimi in a collaborative effort.
As far as my involvement in writing within photography goes, I have been given some incredible opportunities and a free pen to write what I like on some projects that I deeply believe in and love. Moon City is one of those. It hits all the right spots for me personally and is a sincere evolution in Mimi’s practice, born of isolation and his constant curiosity about the world and photography itself. The book feels like it is about architecture through the lens of a telescope; there is a cinematic quality to the work that reminds me a little bit of Apocalypse Now in places, with its hazy, post-apocalyptic orange, glass, and steel on fire, bouncing off London’s banking district.
The haze feels like a squinty veil through which to peer at the city and how we might discuss the moment we are living through at the extreme edges of capitalism. Within the context of the work is curiosity, but also, and much to Mimi’s endearing nature, a signal to be aware of each other, to see beyond the veil, and to consider how we might better cope with the problems associated with inflation, forever war, and the bleak outline of a future yet unsketched. The work absolutely pulses with sublime gestures that suggest rapture, but are sensible enough to hint at scientific or mathematical pursuits such as architecture and astronomy. I am deeply honored to have collaborated with Mimi.
In this conversation, we talk about a great many things, including the book. Please listen in, especially if you have never been introduced to Mimi. He is a wonder.
