If photography and art in general have historically been attributed to great male personalities, there is a large part – more hidden certainly – in which the role of women has been fundamental, but overshadowed by a patriarchal culture that prevented them from emerging equally. Starting with the Donata Pizzi Collection, the Fondazione Sabe per l’Arte highlights Italian feminist photography of the last fifty years. It is an exhibition entitled Fotografia e Femminismi (Photography and Feminisms) that will open tomorrow 5 October in Ravenna, carefully curated by Federica Muzzarelli. The exhibition juxtaposes works by historical artists such as Liliana Barchiesi, Lisetta Carmi, and Paola Mattioli with those of new contemporary voices such as Martina Della Valle and Alba Zari. This dialogue between generations of female artists wants to emphasise the continuity and evolution of feminist thought in photography, because it exists and is of great value.
The exhibition focuses on four main themes: Family Albums, Gender Identity, Stereotypes and Domestic Spaces, and Social Roles and Censorships. «But the exhibition is also a tale within a tale,» reads the press release anticipating the exhibition, which is full of historical materials such as the maquettes from the feminist collective volume “Ci vediamo mercoledì. Gli altri giorni ci immaginiamo” (1978), underlining the importance of historical memory in the context of women’s art.
Fotografia e Femminismi is intended as a testimony to the importance of supporting women’s voices in art, and contributes to giving visibility to the cultural heritage of Italian women photographers.
The exhibition is open until 15 December 2024 at the Fondazione Sabe per l’arte in Via Giovanni Pascoli 31, Ravenna.
In cover: Lucia Marcucci, Essa Extra, dalla serie Pin Up, 1965. Lambda print 2016 42,8x30cm
