From 1 January to 7 April 2024
“If Henri Cartier-Bresson was ‘the eye of his century’ (the twentieth century), McCurry is probably the contemporary photographer most inclined to take up his legacy.” This is what can be read in the press release for the Steve McCurry exhibition. Icons are currently on display at the Republican Arsenals in Pisa, where they will remain open until April 7. Over ninety shots by the photojournalist summarize his vast production, once again celebrating his great philanthropy as well as his undeniable photographic skills.
With impeccable compositions and bright colors, McCurry tells the story of the most disparate ethnic groups in the world, recording stories of joy and aggregation but also loneliness and suffering, resilience and solidarity, family, and friendship. Inclined since he was a teenager to look beyond all borders, the American photographer has developed a strong sensitivity and has learned to capture and represent the humanity of his subjects, regardless of their geographical and cultural belonging or their social background. With a respectful gaze, McCurry has been perceiving and recording, for more than forty years, a human condition made up of universal feelings.
Steve McCurry: Hunt for Authenticity
“Most of my photos,” the photographer said, “are rooted in people. I look for the moment when the most genuine soul appears when the experience is imprinted on a person’s face. I try to convey what a cultured person can be in a broader context that we could call the human condition. I want to convey the visceral sense of beauty and wonder that I have found in front of me during my travels when the surprise of being a stranger mixes with the joy of familiarity.”
Something more about Steve McCurry’s exhibition itinerary. Icons
The exhibition begins with a focus on Afghanistan, a country that has played a central role in McCurry’s career. The exhibition focuses on the post-1992 period, presenting moving portraits of Kabul, a city that has experienced over fifteen years of conflict. The photographer reveals dark and violent aspects of man, but also celebrates the humanity that emerges amid hardship, as evidenced by the fascinating portraits of the miners of Pol-e-Khomri or the children clinging to the trunk of a 1950s Chevrolet.
India, a country to which McCurry is particularly attached, reveals itself in all its complexity: from intimate portraits of mother and son taken from a taxi window to visions of unhealthy shipwrecking yards, the images convey the vitality and contradictions of an immense culture. The crowded railway stations, in particular, become the scene of a harmonious coexistence between misery and wealth.
The exhibition then extends beyond the borders of India, through countries such as Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Yemen, Kashmir, Italy, and Japan. In this exhibition, the photographer portrays Buddhism as an important and extremely personal theme. From mausoleums to Buddhist worshippers, McCurry captures not only the magnificence of sacred buildings, such as the Mingun Pagoda and the Golden Rock in Myanmar but also the spirituality embodied in the faces of practitioners from different parts of the world. Steve McCurry. Icons is an invitation to reflect on the complexity of the world and humanity’s ability to resist, grow, and thrive despite adversity.
The exhibition, organized by ARTIKA and curated by Biba Giacchetti with the Sudest57 Exhibitions Team, develops through a free path that embraces different themes and situations. “Icons” is also the title of a publication that forms the exhibition catalog, an exclusive dialogue in which McCurry reveals the stories and behind-the-scenes of his most beloved images.
With impeccable compositions and bright colors, McCurry tells the story of the most disparate ethnic groups in the world, recording stories of joy and aggregation, but also of loneliness and suffering, resilience and solidarity, of family and friendship.
Inclined since he was a teenager to look beyond all borders, the American photographer has developed a strong sensitivity and has learned to capture and represent the humanity of his subjects, regardless of their geographical and cultural belonging or their social background. With a respectful gaze, McCurry has been perceiving and recording, for more than forty years, a human condition made up of universal feelings.
Steve McCurry: Hunt for Authenticity
“Most of my photos,” the photographer said, “are rooted in people. I look for the moment when the most genuine soul appears when the experience is imprinted on a person’s face. I try to convey what a cultured person can be in a broader context that we could call the human condition. I want to convey the visceral sense of beauty and wonder that I have found in front of me, during my travels, when the surprise of being a stranger mixes with the joy of familiarity.”
Something more about Steve McCurry’s exhibition itinerary. Icons
The exhibition begins with a focus on Afghanistan, a country that has played a central role in McCurry’s career. The exhibition focuses on the post-1992 period, presenting moving portraits of Kabul, a city that has experienced over fifteen years of conflict. The photographer reveals dark and violent aspects of man but also celebrates the humanity that emerges amid hardship, as evidenced by the fascinating portraits of the miners of Pol-e-Khomri or the children clinging to the trunk of a 1950s Chevrolet.
India, a country to which McCurry is particularly attached, reveals itself in all its complexity: from intimate portraits of mother and son taken from a taxi window to visions of unhealthy shipwrecking yards, the images convey the vitality and contradictions of an immense culture. The crowded railway stations, in particular, become the scene of a harmonious coexistence between misery and wealth.
The exhibition then extends beyond the borders of India, through countries such as Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Yemen, Kashmir, Italy, and Japan. In this exhibition, the photographer portrays Buddhism as an important and extremely personal theme. From mausoleums to Buddhist worshippers, McCurry captures not only the magnificence of sacred buildings, such as the Mingun Pagoda and the Golden Rock in Myanmar but also the spirituality embodied in the faces of practitioners from different parts of the world. Steve McCurry. Icons are an invitation to reflect on the complexity of the world and humanity’s ability to resist, grow, and thrive despite adversity.
