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Until the 29th of April, the Museo D’Arte Contemporanea Roma-MACRO exhibits, at the Centro di produzione culturale, the work of the American photographer Steve McCurry. The exhibition is a tribute to one of the most important exponents of contemporary photojournalism, obtaining on various occasions the World Press Photo Award, considered the most important award in this field.

The work of McCurry has become a reference point for those who like photojournalism. Both he and his work are well known in Italy, becoming a reference for many young people who see the events of our time through his photographs. This reason has brought the MACRO Museum to make this exhibition that symbolizes a tribute of the Italian people to McCurry and his work.

The exhibition is commissioned by Fabio Novembre, who has taken the 200 best works made by McCurry of his 30 year career. Despite that the presentation of the young Afghan woman with green eyes in the exhibition is inevitable, there will also be some more recent works that gather the period between 2009 and 2011. Among the works that will be exhibited there will be photographs taken in Thailand and Myanmar (Burma), that include a spectacular series dedicated to Buddhism. There will also be some unknown work of his taken in Cuba.

Steve McCurry was born in 1950 in Philadelphia, United States. His start in photojournalism took place in a local newspaper. His first incursion outside the United States was in India, where he made an interesting tour to observe and capture the complex world of castes and misery in the middle of scenic and aesthetic beauty, given by the landscape and ancestral culture. In 1978 he moved to Afghanistan to make photojournalism and he stayed there covering the conflict until 1992. However, the work that took him to stardom in journalism and photography is the photograph ‘Afghan Girl’, that appeared on the cover of National Geographic magazine in 1985 and which was reproduced in all the media of the time and the years after that, being considered as one of the most important images of the 20th century that has appeared in reports, posters, leaflets and all kinds of printed media.

The ‘Afghan Girl’ is a photograph of Sharbat Gula, a 12 year old girl of the Pashtun tribe who was in a refugee camp in Pakistan. Her name he got to now 20 years later when he went back to the area and found her at the age of 30, with the pain of war reflected on her face.

His work has taken place in war fronts such as Beirut, Cambodia, Afghanistan and the surrounding areas, Kuwait, the former Yugoslavia and the Balkans. McCurry’s photographs tell us the horrors of war and the loss of the limits of reason that happen during these conflicts.

For more information:

http://www.macro.roma.museum/mostre_ed_eventi/mostre/steve_mccurry

Nancy Guzman

If you enjoy the places where human warmth is the centre of life, we recommend that you rent apartments in Rome and enjoy a few wonderful days attending all the good shows and exhibitions that this city has this time of year.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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Until the 25^th of January, 2012 The French Academy in Rome, located in Villa Medici, has a spectacular exhibition with the photographic work by Eric Pointevin. The sample is mounted with the most recent work based on Pointevin´s landscapes, human and animal bodies.

This exhibition is the second presentation is done in collaboration with the International Photography Festival of Rome: Photography 2011.

Pointevin Eric was born in France in 1961. His photographic work is interesting and somewhat intriguing. Located between the classical and abstract images, Pointevin plays with images and reconstructs the narrative of the photograph, especially when dealing with classic subjects such as landscapes, nudes and still lifes.

The most interesting thing of his works, is that they do not fit into any trend in contemporary photography, he is perhaps a lone wolf to fix the plane, see the speed and open the aperture to capture places while making sense out of context.

Sometimes it seems that his photos do not make much sense, because, in appearance, they are monotonous pictures, but with a second glance the viewer begins to feel that hypnotic sense that has this remarkable work, because it is understood that Pointevin seeks to create a relationship emotional, conceptual object that transforms a simple photo into a work of art.

He works close-ups, often, taking away with this abuse of close-ups, expressiveness, which increases with monochrome backgrounds, and the use of dim light. This deliberate search of certain neutrality takes his work to be suspended in the dialogue, prompting introspection on atavistic social fears, those that all members of the community live when they cannot explain something.

This is very clear in his still life, in which two human skulls on a white background, a semi is mounted on the other hand, speaks of power, violence, life or simply the fear of death that is common all human beings, but nevertheless is part of life.

Another of his famous photographs that explores the fears of religion, is the sacrifice of the lamb. Two sequential shots in which you see a slaughtered lamb hanging, with a completely white background, which highlights the blood on the floor. An interesting photo that makes the viewer intrigue about culture and beliefs.

One of his photographs that deeply catch the viewers´ attention is the Villa Medici, which is a nun in black and white profile portrait. The features of a women, the shadows and lights create a frightening picture, which tells about the dark side of religion that humans hide behind casings to hide their own weaknesses.

For more information http://www.villamedici.it/fr/event/361/eric-poitevin-photographies

Nancy Guzman

Eric Pointevin is undoubtedly a great artist and excellent photographer, this exhibition is simply a must do if you are enjoying a few days in apartments in Rome

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Translated by: Hans
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Until the 15^th of September, the exhibition “Water Drops” by the Neapolitan photographer Giovanni De Angelis is on display at the Macro Museum in Rome. This exhibition introduces a social and anthropological study of twins and their identity conflicts through the image.

There are some films that have explored the identity conflicts among siblings born from a single egg. Movies like, Pact of Silence, starring Gérard Depardieu and Elodie Bouchez, scan the perversion and almost supernatural connection of two twin sisters. However, those fantasies are not very applicable to reality, because despite of the fact that twins shared the uterus, they may have different sex, different physical appearance and even different racial features.

Giovanni de Angelis was born in Naples in 1969; he currently lives and works in Rome. His passion for photography started at a young age, working with a traditional approach. During the course of his professionalization, he looked for other ways of seeing through images by developing a particular interest in visual perception.

Intrigued by the stories of Candido Godoi, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, place in which there was an unusual birth of twins, to the point of being known as “Land of twins”, De Angelis traveled to there to have the experience of being in a place where identities were diffuse and conflict by the dissipation of particulars. The unique peculiarity of the Candido Godoi is that it is inhabited by families with German and Polish backgrounds, which called De Angelis attention.

From that trip, De Angelis explored the idea of the identity worlds seen from the ones who share life since its inception. The social, anthropological and psychological focus, led him to question the uniqueness of the individual, which is often a forgotten aspect by a society that creates diffusible identities from the media. This project was developed with the therapist Luisa Laurelli and consisted in photographing and interviewing twins about their experience in order to be able to configure their profiles.

The interesting thing about this experience is the encounter between science and art; two perspectives, sometimes antagonistic, but in this case complementary. In this union of interests and different approaches, Water Drops provides an intriguing hypothesis on the particular rural community Godoi Candido, referring to the possible genetic manipulation carried out by the so-called “Doctor Death” Joseph Mengele that after the Nazi defeat troops settled in Paraguay.

Although, this is an interesting aspect in the research, De Angelis is interested in the process of individuals to build their own self and identity, recognizing their similarities and differences. This is how photography speaks to us through the slightly different features, the grimaces, and the minutest details that differentiate us and give us the richness of particularity.

For more information:

http://www.macro.roma.museum/mostre_ed_eventi/mostre/giovanni_de_angelis_water_drops

Nancy Guzman

Macro Museum offers an interesting exhibition, which converges science and art to produce a unique work. A great activity to do this summer, if you like photography and you’re spending a few days  apartments in Rome

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Translated by: Hans
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In artistic photography, taking pictures of naked human bodies is a tradition. On the other hand, if you have the appropriate sensitivity, a portrait of an urban landscape, at first glance something very common, could become art. Moreover, human beauty, in its natural state, can be reloaded and meaningful when two or more naked bodies pose for a camera. So what happens when you portray 18 thousand naked people in a public square?

The American photographer Spencer Tunick, famous for his mass nude installations in the middle of urban and natural locations, always creates an environment in which people feel confident to pose for his camera in an artistic way, while having a unique nudist experience. His work began to become famous in 1986 when he visited London and photographed a nude at a bus stop, as well as scores of nudes in Alleyn’s School, in London, but it was until 1992, in New York, where he began to define the path that he would eventually follow, photographing small groups of naked people at public places. From 1994 to date, he has organized about 65 nude installations in various cities around the world. People being photographed by Tunick are mainly volunteers including: men, women, children and elderly, without distinction of any kind, who only receive a signed photograph in return for their participation.

Not everyone celebrates his work; members of the artistic community look down his work claiming that they are simple social events, losing the essence of the beauty of the body and making him just a nudist activist, not an aesthetic artist. However, others see in Tunick´s photographs a work of great visual impact that contrasts the modernity of the greatest architectural buildings with the human vulnerability at his total nudity. The photographer’s work has been widely publicized, and his convening power is so great that he managed to gather 18,000 volunteers who got naked together at the Constitution Square in Mexico City, on the 6^th of May 2007. An unprecedented record.

Some of the cities that have become the stage for his lens, are: Byron Bay, Melbourne and Sydney (Australia), Cork and Dublin (Ireland), Bruges (Belgium), Buenos Aires (Argentina) Buffalo, Limestone, Cleveland and Miami Beach (USA) Lisbon (Portugal), London, Newcastle, Gateshead, Manchester and Salford (England), Lyon, Macon and Aurillac (France), Montreal (Canada), Rome (Italy), San Sebastian and Barcelona (Spain), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Caracas (Venezuela), Vienna (Austria); Düsseldorf (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Santiago (Chile) Mexico city (Mexico), Amsterdam (Netherlands), and even in the Aletsch Glacier (Switzerland) for a Greenpeace campaign, among others. Of course, these events always generate aversion from people who qualify such events as an excuse for exhibitionism.

The last work of the photographer was held at France on the 21^st of August 2010, and so far, there is no news to “undress” a city, but if you want to be informed about it, or you want to get to know Tunick’s work, you can visit http://www.spencertunick.com/.

ArBlanco

And if you visit one of the cities, that Tunick has photographed, why not to get an apartments in Rome and enjoy its beautiful landscaped during your stay.

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Translated by: Hans
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Until March 23 the Mick Jagger. The Photobook’s retrospective is exhibited at the Auditorium Parco Della Musica in Rome. The retrospective ventures into the rock icon’s image to analyze the key factors that made him a representative of the style of fashion and sex symbol for more than forty years.

Mick Jagger was born in Dartford, England, in 1943. Although he was a good student, about to be awarded a scholarship to the London School Economics, he left his studies unfinished due to his interest in music. He founded the rock group Rolling Stone with his elementary classmate Keith Richards, where he became the lead singer and songwriter. At mid 80′s he started his solo career, ending a group that marked time along with the Beatles.

His love life has filled pages of tabloids, as well as the drug scandals that surround him in the myth of an era which proclaims freedom in the private and public life. Mick has experienced everything from being admitted on to hospital from an overdose of barbiturates and alcohol, until his arrest in London for possession of drugs. His first marriage to Bianca Perez Mora-Macias, a Nicaraguan student who frequented the famous Studio 54 in Manhattan, surprised because of the physiognomy similitude of the couple. In the photo of the wedding, Bianca appears to be the female version of Jagger. This gave rise to scathing remarks about Jagger’s sexuality. The couple became the symbol of sensuality, fashion week in Paris, London and New York of the 70’s. At the end of their marriage, Bianca became a human rights activist and ecology, while Jagger continued his career on stage and married model Jerry Hall.

His foray into cinema began as the star of Performance in 1968. Followed by Ned Kelly and Freejack and The man from Field Elyssian, which he starred alongside Andy Garcia, James Coburn and Anjelica Huston. On 2008 he performed Shine a Light with Martin Scorsese.

His thin face with full, sexy lips, evil-eyed and almost childlike body made him one of the most attractive and desired by men and women. His sweaty picture on stage, his endless movement and the sounds of his spectacular voice are in the minds of generations of fans, who consider him an eternal youngster and an antiestablishment symbol.

The exhibition Mick Jagger. The Photobook presents 70 portraits of Jagger made by famous photographers who build the narrative of his career and his particularly expressive gesture that has become an ever-present character. Among the wonderful pictures of this exhibition, there is the picture captured in 1967 by Cecil Baton, a photographer who photographed the celebrities between 50’s and 70’s, where the young Jagger appears serene, surrounded by black and white shadows that give a dramatic touch to his face. Baton also made a portrait titled “The Singer”.

Mick Jagger’s life is filled with juicy stories, like being considered jinxed or bad luck symbol by Brazilian soccer players for having supported England and the United States in the world, countries that were eliminated. However, his voice and interesting figure will go down in history of music and fashion.

For further info: http://www.auditorium.com/eventi/4990416

Nancy Guzman

So if you want to venture into the path that led to a rebel to be named Royal Knight of the British Empire in 2003 for his merits in the music, visit Auditorium Parco Della Musica in Rome and, to enjoy your stay in the city of eternal beauty, the best bet are apartments in Rome

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Translated by: Maria
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The 8th edition of the famous International Photography Festival is about to commence in Rome. After several disputes and revamping it, there is no doubt that today it is one of the most important showcases for photographers, paparazzi, artists and photography lovers the world over. The festival will take place in the famous Palazzo delle Esposizioni and is promoted by the Rome city council, produced by Zoneattive and directed by Marco Delogu. The festival is a European reference in the photography world and the event will begin on May 29th and will extend until August 2nd.

Last year the main theme was everyday life, but this year’s edition is based on the joy of life under the heading “Declinazioni della Gioia” (declinations of Joy): the displayed photographs arouse positive emotions, smiles and happiness.

Many famous photographers will be participating: some of them are already winners of past editions, such as Giorgio Barrera under the title “Through the Window”, or Nan Goldin and David Monteleone with “From the Body”. They all show their own vision of happiness through their photographic work.

In addition, many academies and institutes such as the French Academy, the American Academy and the Royal Academy of Spain will participate too.

This edition counts on the following awards: Baume & Mercier Award, La ILA Award, the Book Award, and the new Portfolio Award, an important prize for young and up and coming photographers.

Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity! Rent apartments in Rome and live an unforgettable experience.