Guido Mocafico's exhibition, Aranea, comprised eight colour photographs, never before shown. These large-scale, 180 x 142 cm. photographs present deadly spiders in minimalist fashion, beautiful still objects, igniting a primal apprehension.
Spiders, whether large or small, have always induced fear in humans, and although Mocafico provides the spectator a comfortable viewing position to observe these striking creatures, instinctive reactions habitually prevail.
All the tarantulas photographed are part of the Theraphosidae family, of which consist approximately 800 species distributed in 12 subfamilies. They can be found on every continent, with their numbers greatest in the tropical regions.
This series is part of Mocafico's Venenum trilogy, alongside Medusa (Jellyfish) and his famous Serpens (Snakes). In 2005, Steidl published the Venenum book in a limited edition of 1200 copies.