‘Sul leggere’ unveiled: the new season of photography exhibitions Verso Pordenone 2027

Robert Doisneau

The first major exhibition is dedicated to French photographer Robert Doisneau (1912–1994), on an journey that retraces the breadth of his extraordinary career and the wide range of themes he explored, while also offering new insights into his work. More than 130 photographs will be displayed in the exhibition spaces at the Galleria Civica Harry Bertoia. The project has been developed in collaboration with the Atelier Doisneau in Paris and Fondazione Artea, and is curated by Gabriel and Chantal Bauret. Beginning in the 1930s, the exhibition traces Doisneau’s entire body of work, characterised by a poetic, human and often ironic style, capable of capturing spontaneous, authentic moments in the streets, cafés and working-class neighbourhoods of the French capital. The exhibition will also present his commissioned works for major French companies, documenting working-class life and industrial processes. In particular, it will include a group of photographs from the reportage he produced in 1945 at Aubusson textile factory for Le Point magazine, creating a meaningful connection with the textile heritage of the Pordenone area. The exhibition route will be enriched by an exclusive video interview, produced for the occasion, with Doisneau’s daughters, Francine and Annette.

Olivia Arthur

The programme continues with an important section dedicated to leading figures in contemporary international photography. Opening concurrently on 22 November, this exclusive project by photographer Olivia Arthur (1980), curated by Marco Minuz, marks a key moment in the season. British photographer Olivia Arthur is known for her documentary work and for her intimate, human-centred approach to the stories she tells. She has been a member of the Magnum Photos agency since 2013 and won the Inge Morath Prize in 2007. Her photography often looks at the themes of identity, culture and the female condition, with a particular focus on the worlds that exist on the margins of society. For Pordenone, Arthur will develop two distinct projects. Within the historic exhibition space at Museo Civico d’Arte Ricchieri, she will present her work Murmurings of the Skin, relating it to the museum’s permanent collections through a large-scale installation. This project explores our relationship with our bodies, with skin and physicality, as well as the boundary between human and machine-technology. Skin becomes a site of inner conflict, of wounds, but also of resistance. In the new exhibition space dedicated to contemporary photography, Die Gelbe Wand at the new Mercati Culturali Pordenone cultural centre, the British artist will present a collection of works focusing on her five editorial projects.

Seiichi Furuya

The Museo Civico d’Arte Ricchieri in Pordenone will host two further exhibition projects dedicated to contemporary photography. The first, opening on 22 November and running until 8 February 2025, is dedicated to the Japanese photographer Seiichi Furuya (1950). Furuya’s photographic work is intimately linked to the loss of his wife Christine and to her memory. On display will be the project Face to Face, the final chapter of his long-standing work on Mémoires. Over the years, through photography and careful archival work, Furuya has sought to process his grief, to understand Christine’s presence in his life, and to reflect on the role she played within their relationship. In this final project, photographs taken by Seiichi Furuya are placed in dialogue with photos taken by Christine Gössler herself. The project is realised in cooperation with Fotohof and curated by Kurt Kaindl and Brigitte Blum Kaindl.

Stefanie Moshammer

From 14 February to 6 April, these same spaces will host the work of Austrian photographer Stefanie Moshammer (1988). Her project will also extend into the new exhibition spaces at Mercati Culturali Pordenone, within the Die Gelbe Wand Gallery. Moshammer’s work often blends personal experience with social observation, exploring themes of identity, gender roles, memory and environment. The exhibition will present, across both venues, a deeply personal yet multi-layered exploration of family memory cultures and the value of everyday objects. The starting point for the project lies in photographs, found objects and stories drawn from the lives of her grandparents’ in the Mühlviertel region of Upper Austria – a life characterised by simplicity, creativity and a respectful use of resources. Years later, Moshammer reconstructs these memories in front of her camera, creating a web of visual metaphors that reflect on ageing, daily rituals and the transience of life. The exhibition, curated by Marco Minuz, is produced in collaboration with Fotohof.

Promoted by the Municipality of Pordenone – Pordenone Italian Capital of Culture 2027
Produced and organised by Suazes
With the support of the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia-Giulia