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| Photography takes Form(a): a chat with Contrasto director about Forma museum and more ... |
| January 23, 2007 |
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For the upcoming July edition, ITS#PHOTO (once again in partnership with MINI) will have the honour of having an important curator who will take care of the exhibition of the selected photo projects, all inspired by the theme "Uniquess is?.". His name is Dennis Curti.
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Denis Curti in the last fifteen years has been involved in many of the most important Italian institutions and projects regarding photography.
He has been for ten years, from 1992 to 2002, director of " Fondazione Italiana Per la Fotografia" in Turin and took care from 1995 to 2001 of the "Biennale Internazionale di Fotografia".
In 2000 he became a member of the international comittee of critics which organized the first edition of "BIG, International Biennale of young artists" in Turin.
He collaborated as photography critic for Milan newspaper Corriere della Sera and weekly magazine VIVIMILANO from 1990 to 2004.
In 2002 and 2003 he has been curator of photography auctions for Sotheby's, Milan.
From 2001 to 2003 he provided artistic counselling for "Contrasto" exhibitions and from 2003 he is director of the Milan "Contrasto" centre and member of "Forma-centro Internazionale di fotografia "boards of directors.
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We had the chance to have a pleasant chat with Denis Curti to learn more about photography. He offered us his professional and qualified knowledge. Here is what he told us during our very informal interview.
EVE- As the director of FORMA, what characteristics did you highlight when you set up this space dedicated to photo exhibitions?
Denis Curti- First of all, FORMA is an architectural restoration. It is located inside an old tram deposit, still in part working. Our area is in the very old part, where the tram-pulling horses were kept. Our renewal respects the historical development of the deposit, yet at the same time reflects the fact that is a photography museum. All the exhibitions areas are lit with artificial light, while the other spaces (bookshop, cafè ...) have a lot of natural light.
The exhibiting area is quite large, over 1000 m2, and all the walls are built in high quality and very resistant plasterboard, which allows us to have a simple, yet elegant, setting. There is a large and flexible light system, made up of about 300 light points that resemble a spider web which can be changed quickly into different mountings. This lighting keeps in mind the fact that certain items on display are sensitive to light. |
EVE- Our platform deals directly with students and training/learning. Given your inside knowledge of the Italian photography world, what do you think about the level of teaching of this art form in Italy, and how it compares to other countries?
DC- Up until a few years ago Italy, in this sense, was lagging behind other countries. The only opportunity to study the subject was at the DAMS (Arts, Music and Theatre) department at Bologna University and at the Faculty of Architecture at Venice University (thanks to I. Zannier and his wonderful work). A small number of big city high-schools offered these kinds of courses, but it always focused on the technical aspects of photography and never studied photography as art, as if it were a project.
Since the reforms in the Italian university system, with the introduction of a degree in "Cultural Heritage Conservation" and with the increasing quality of Academies, there have been many opportunities to study the subject. Masters level courses, focussing on different profiles in the photography system, from photo editors to iconographic researchers, from curators to archivers, are becoming more common (FORMA also offers one Masters degree as well). Photography really involves many different professional figures.
With this increasing attention, Italy is filling the gap that exists between itself and other countries like the USA, the UK, France and Germany, where the idea of studying this subject above and beyond the purely technical aspects is deeply rooted
EVE- Every year we receive surprising contributions from students of emerging countries, countries outside the established fashion-map. Are you seeing this trend in photography as well?
DC- If you focus attention on different countries, it is easy to find absolutely amazing discoveries. Eastern Europe has, for example, developed absolutely amazing and excellent "schools"... Hungary, just to name one, has an absolutely excellent level and we are considering organising cultural exchanges to this country in the near future.
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EVE- In your opinion what impact has digital photography had on the approach that is taken to this form of art?
DC- Contrary to what you might think at first glance, costs have increased at a certain level. With analogue equipment, photographers used the same instrument their whole life (for example the famous Laika machines) and it fulfilled their needs. Now in the digital era, new software/hardware needs constant upgrading (and there are compatibility problems with different updated materials). This means the need to spend more. This said, it is also true that the approach (especially on a basic level) is easier. Maybe the "magic" is lost, but you no longer need a certain level of expertise to face the subject.
In the end, this simpler way is healthy but the language, whether analogue or digital based, is still the same and the attention always needs to be put on the person behind the camera, on the content of communication and on the emotions and feelings conveyed. The technical notes are more similar to a fetish, a fetish that does not thrill photo amateurs or professionals.
EVE- What are the characteristics of "fashion photography"?
DC- First we have to realize that the fashion system has always financed really rich photography, offering amazing means and the possibilitiy to experiment and create.
People from yesterday like Avedon, Irving Penn, Wiliam Klein and people from today like Vadukul, Richardson, Meisel had and have this privilege. Other photography segments have always been neglected.
Due to this special situation, fashion photography strongly emerged, always redefining itself. It changes fast. Decades ago the focus was on textiles, shapes, cuts. Now it represents fascinations and atmospheres not linked with "clothes" but it creates a strong evocative power. These atmospheres transform with historical and social contests and with the different values fashion communicates over time. Personally I have found the most up-to-date and immediate photography of the last few years in fashion magazines. Thanks again to the huge spectrum of possibilities offered by fashion, some photographers used to dealing with reportages challenged themselves in this field with excellent results.
EVE- If we ask you to name two photographers you really love, who would they be and why?
DC- On the one hand, I would choose Robert Frank, a Swiss-born photographer who immigrated to the US. He is the author of "The Americans", one of my favourite books. It offered a totally new dimension in representing photography (and the United States) in the fifties, along with the work of other talents such as D. Arbus or G. Winogrand.
In Italy, I deeply love and respect Gianni Berengo Gardin, a dear friend of mine. He taught me how to relate to photography, how to respect and totally appreciate it, how to really read photography books. I would like to quote something he always says: "You might shoot wonderful pictures of a train, but if you want to go deep into the real details of beauty of a face, you will have to step out of the train and shoot it from close up.". This is a perfect way to express the difference between moving images and photography, with its deepness and accuracy and true meaning.
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