Marco Vernaschi is an Italian visual artist and producer celebrated for his evocative photography and motivational campaigns. His extensive portfolio spans portraiture, documentary, and contemporary art, frequently merging artistic expression with activism.
In 2024, Marco launched Macondo, a project delving into the confluence of magical realism and climate resilience in Colombia’s Caribbean region. Between 2021 and 2022, he produced Ahícito Nomás, followed by Warmi, an editorial campaign promoting indigenous women's rights and exploring the nexus of ancestral and modern feminism in the Andean Altiplano. In 2019, with Gaucha, he played a key role in Apple’s global #ShotOnIphone campaign, celebrating the gaucho matriarchs of Argentina.
From 2015 to 2019, Marco worked as an external advisor to Argentina’s Chief of Staff Office, contributing to social development and strategic initiatives in the Northwestern region, especially the Quebrada of Humahuaca in Jujuy.
In 2015, he produced SEEDS for LIFE, a compelling campaign to highlight the detrimental effects of pesticides in Argentina. This initiative, supported by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, resulted in significant regulatory reforms concerning agrochemical use.
A milestone in Marco’s career came in 2011 when he was selected to participate in the 54th Venice Biennale. His autobiographical project, Placebo, praised by David Lynch as “a monumental break in photography,” further established his reputation as a disruptive artist and was also showcased at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome (MACRO), Paris Photo, and the Karl Bulla Museum in St. Petersburg.
In 2012, Marco unveiled Biophilia at the Noorderlicht Festival, Terra Cognita. This project, exploring humanity’s inherent need to reconnect with nature, was later exhibited at the Tokyo Institute of Photography, Paris Photo, and the Festival Internacional de Fotografia de Belo Horizonte.
As a Pulitzer Center grantee, Marco produced Narco State, investigating narco-terrorism in Guinea-Bissau; Dying For Treatment, focusing on maternal health in West Africa; and Child Sacrifice, examining organ trafficking in Uganda.
Marco’s work has earned numerous accolades, including the World Press Photo Award.
He became a member of The Photo Society in 2015.
