Mudec, ten women who changed the history of photography

Every Saturday at 10 a.m. on the channels of Mudec - Museo delle Culture continues until February 20, 2021 the miniseries 10 x 10, ten mini-video documentaries about ten great protagonists of the history of photography. An appointment that from December 19, 2020 accompanies the public for ten weeks to discover the life and work of famous photographers, such as Cindy Sherma, Eve Arnold, Inge Morath, Lisetta Carmi, Tina Modotti.

Curated by Nicolas Ballario, the video miniseries tells the story of art photography. Ten great female photographers who have characterized the entire twentieth century up to, with some of them, our century; personalities very different from each other, but chosen because they all present a distinctive common trait: they were pioneering artists who imposed themselves with their photographic lens in a world and at a time when access for women was opposed, if not even forbidden, but who with their art and ’militancy’ paved the way for entire generations of female photographers. From photojournalism to reportage, from cinema to fashion, from architecture to politics, from design to art systems, the documentaries, directed by Fabrizio Spucches, will recount the lives and careers of Dorothea Lange, Cindy Sherman, Gerda Taro, Inge Morath, Margaret Bourke-White, Eve Arnold, Lisetta Carmi, Imogen Cunningham, Marirosa Toscani and finally Tina Modotti, the latter soon to be hosted at Mudec with an anthological exhibition dedicated to her.

On Saturday, Jan. 23, for the sixth episode, Nicolas Ballario will accompany the audience to discover Imogen Cunningham, a pioneer of photography born in Portland in 1883. Just 18 years old, she bought her first camera to start shooting. She became passionate about nature photography: her shots depicted plants, landscapes and flowers. In 1909 she moved to Dresden to study chemistry (she was the only woman in her class). She published a study in which a technique designed to speed up printing was described: everything she learned in college she used in photography. In Seattle he opened his own photography studio. In the last years of his life he founded the Imogen Cunningham Trust, an institution whose mission is to preserve and enhance his artistic heritage.

In addition to the biography, anecdotes and special aspects that marked the often adventurous lives of the ten women photographers, Ballario also shows many images and features outside contributions from journalists, critics and artists to enrich the ten stories.

Starting February 22, a podcast will be born from this miniseries: the audiostories will be available on Spotify and Apple Podcast platforms.

Mudec will in fact inaugurate from 2021 a new cultural appointment on its social channels, preferring a storytelling all to listen to, where and when you want. It starts in January: video-documentaries will continue their popularizing mission in the form of audio-documentaries through podcasts. Ten new narratives of great female artists who have made the history of our time for an all-female journey.

Following are the subsequent dates:

Jan. 23: Imogen Cunningham
Jan. 30: Inge Morath
Feb. 6: Lisetta Carmi
Feb. 13: Margaret Bourke-White
Feb. 20: Tina Modotti

Pictured is Imogen Cunningham, Self-portrait with camera (late 1920s). © Imogen Cunningham Trust

Mudec, ten women who changed the history of photography

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