From 18 to 21 November, the first conscious fashion photography festival dedicated to deepening the meeting ground between ethics and aesthetics returns to Milan, in both physical and digital versions. "Reframing History" is the common denominator behind the exhibitions, an exploration of projects that intend to present an alternative view, reinventing neglected historical figures or questioning stereotyped stories
PhotoVogue was launched in Italy in 2011 as a community for photography enthusiasts. It has since grown into an industry-leading platform with over 257,000 photographers worldwide, both amateurs and professionals. In 2016, the first Photo Vogue Festival was held in Milan, involving the entire city with talks, exhibitions and initiatives related to photography.
Now, in its tenth year, PhotoVogue is relaunched to expand globally and also include other types of media to build an internationally diversified platform of the most interesting voices in photography, video, multimedia. The new website will be launched in early 2022. PhotoVogue's mission has always been and will continue to be to supporting talent, reaching historically excluded communities, improving visual literacy and shaping a more just, ethical and inclusive visual world.
The event, now in its own right sixth edition, And sponsored by the Municipality of Milan and it is made possible thanks to the contribution of some partners including Audi, Gucci Beauty and Xiaomi.
Between 18 and 21 November 2021, the event will wind through exhibitions, talks, portfolio reviews both on the territory, from BASE Milan, as well as in satellite events in the best galleries in the city, both in digital with a new photovoguefestival.vogue.it platform.
The common denominator behind the photographic exhibitions is "Reframing History": an exploration of projects that intend to present an alternative view, reinventing neglected historical figures or questioning stereotyped tales.
As with every edition, the festival represents an unmissable opportunity for photography, fashion and art enthusiasts to get in touch with innovative photographers and leading figures in the sector, including curators and professionals.
Exhibitions
REFRAMING HISTORY / 35 CHAPTERS
The 35 artists presented in this section of the exhibition were selected by an international jury through an Open Call which was attended by 2500 photographers from 98 different countries for a total of 25,000 images.
It presents projects that claim an alternative way of telling a story, starting from those that re-contextualize omitted or forgotten historical figures to those that claim an idea of beauty that has been stereotyped. Helping to achieve what Chinua Achebe defined "a balance of stories" has always been one of the key missions of PhotoVogue, the photographic platform of Vogue Italia, which this year celebrates its tenth anniversary. Human beings are storytelling creatures: the stories we tell become 'the stuff' of which the world we inhabit is made. There is an extraordinary African proverb that Achebe often quotes: "as long as the lions do not have their own historians, hunting tales will always glorify the hunter". Well, this year's edition of the festival aims to focus on the story of the lions.
REFRAMING HISTORY / 12 CHAPTERS
The 12 artists presented in this section of the exhibition were selected by the members of the jury and the photographic department of Vogue Italia.
Curated by the photographic department of Vogue Italia and by the members of the festival jury, the exhibition examines and further develops the perspective of Black creatives on the concept of 'Reframing History'. From alternative history, or counter-history, passing through the radical reinvention and criticism of artistic canons and Western mythologies, the artists on display have redirected attention to territories that have remained in the shadows for too long, opening a luminous path that is influencing , shaping and revolutionizing the world panorama of contemporary photography.
A Reframed Library
Photo Vogue Festival presents a selection of photobooks that aims to give voice to underrepresented stories in the field of storytelling: these photographic projects address issues related to cultural identity, the deconstruction of stereotypes and the concept of shared authorship. Each of the books on display tries to encourage reflection on the ethical and political implications of how we represent a story or a community. The selection is made by Rica Cerbarano, contributor to Vogue Italia.
Reframing History / 2 Chapters
The theme of the exhibition is also explored through popular culture hits such as the TV series Anne Boleyn and the film The Personal History of David Copperfield. The choices made by the jury and the photographic department of Vogue Italia aim to highlight the spread and scope of this movement and its influence on every aspect of contemporary culture.
The photographers
During the days of the event it will be possible to view four episodes of the Sky Original Le Fotografe series, directed by Francesco G. Raganato and produced by Terratrema Film in collaboration with Seriously. The docu-series is dedicated to eight Italian photographers who, through their artistic research, explore themes related to the female universe.
In particular, it will be possible to deepen the work of Carolina Amoretti, Roselena Ramistella, Sara Lorusso and Zoe Natale Mannella: four authors that Vogue Italia has supported over time, highlighting their talent and ability to describe contemporary women in a complex and original way. On the digital platform it will also be possible to enjoy a best of video of the series made by the director.
Talk
BASE Milano will host a rich program of live talks that will be visible on the digital platform of the festival in the following days. The new interactive format is an exception – Ask me anything – during which industry experts will answer live questions from the public present at BASE Milano and those of virtually connected spectators. This format will also be broadcast in live streaming on the digital platform on November 20. Ask me anything was designed to help those creatives who do not have the opportunity to ask the most basic questions to professional photographers and experts in the sector. In line with the festival's mission, the focus of this edition's talks will range from photojournalism to fashion photography. The topics discussed will be topical issues such as diversity and inclusion – not only in terms of the subject of the stories we tell but also of those who tell them, filter access to them or have decision-making power. We will also talk about disability, LGBTQIA +, the influence that Instagram exerts on photography, visual literacy and much more.
Admission is free.
Access will be allowed only to subjects with COVID-19 green certification, so-called "Green pass".
Timetables:
Thursday 18 November 15:00 – 21:00
Friday 19 November 11:00 – 21:00
Saturday 20 November 11:00 – 21:00
Sunday 21 November 11:00 – 21:00
Exhibits on the digital platform will be available for one year starting November 18, 2021.
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