“JIMMY NELSON. Humanity” is part of the program of the side events taking place during the PhotoVogue Festival.
Promoted by Comune Milano - Cultura and in collaboration with the Jimmy Nelson Foundation, the exhibition “JIMMY NELSON. Humanity” will be on show until 21 January 2024. Produced by Palazzo Reale and Skira Editore, it is curated by Nicolas Ballario and Federica Crivellaro. It showcases 65 large-format photographs, a visual testimony of the evolution of Nelson as a photographer, who spent most of his life around the world, portraying indigenous cultures at greatest risk of disappearing, still surviving in a globalised world. The artist captured their customs and traditions, their emotions, their resilience and rootedness, helping, in this way, challenge and dismantle the prejudices against these ethnic groups.
“From an artistic point of view,” says Jimmy Nelson, “I am fascinated by the aesthetic of indigenous populations. Their brightly coloured clothing, their sophisticated crafts, and their breathtaking landscapes provide me with a rich visual tapestry to capture beauty through my lens.
A celebration of diversity, the photographs of communities in West Papua, Tibet, Africa, Siberia or Bhutan invite us to look at the world from a different perspective and to question the limits of our reality. With his camera, Nelson caught the ever present beauty of humans and framed it as an integral part of our existence.
“I believe strongly in the transformative power of beauty,” continues Jimmy Nelson. “I have personal experience of how recognising and celebrating beauty can bring about positive change in individuals and communities. When people are encouraged to embrace their own identities and unique values, they become more secure and fulfilled and a chain effect of positive transformation is generated in their lives.”
Nelson s work is a celebration of the uniqueness of every person he met, with which he established a deep and meaningful connection evident in the attention for the details and characteristics as fundamental parts of the subject s culture. The human factor is always included in harmony with the nature surrounding it, embracing the communities portrayed. The resulting images mirror the deep relationship based on mutual respect between these people and nature. His work underlines not only the urgency of embracing sustainable practices in respect of nature, but it also give space to the most vulnerable people, like elderly people and women who often break down gender bias concerning activities commonly associated with men, such as hunting with eagles.
As Federica Crivellaro points out,“Another aspect of Jimmy Nelson’s photography is the representation of people in motion, involved in rituals, playing musical instruments, climbing rocks or riding horses. These images not only offer a glimpse of the cultures and lifestyles of the people involved, but also serve to immerse the viewer in a different culture in a prudent and respectful manner. The intention is to illustrate the dynamic influence of external factors like globalization, technology and popular culture on traditional societies and their evolving identities. Rather than documenting cultures from an ethnographic stance, he seeks to reveal their lively contemporaneity and the interaction between tradition and modernity. An example of this is the image depicting a group of Dani from West Papua as they walk towards the viewer, wearing sunglasses and a mixture of traditional and non-traditional objects, including a framed diploma tied to an arm, exemplifying the mixture of non-traditional elements and typical tribal clothing.”
Nelson s work reflects his considerable technical ability and patience. His stylistic perfection was mastered through years of experimentation, inspired by Richard Avedon and Irving Penn, references visible in the particular attention he has to natural light, detail, and the essence of the subject in front of him.
For the first time in this exhibition there will be on display a selection of images he took with the large-format titanium view camera (10x8), which marked the turning point of Nelson s career: the camera is easy to transport and it enabled him to create images similar to paintings.
The exhibition will be held with the collaboration of TicketOne (ticketing partner), Ferrovie dello Stato (mobility partner), and StreetVox (technical partner). The exhibition s official radio station is Radio Monte Carlo.
The catalogue which accompanies the exhibition is edited by Skira.
Cover image: Jimmy Nelson, Marquesans, Hakahau, Mount Oave, Ua Pou, The Marquesans Island, French Polynesia, 2016 © Jimmy Nelson B.V.
“JIMMY NELSON. Humanity”
September 20, 2023 - January 21, 2024
Tuesday - Sunday | 10.00 - 19.00
Thursday 10.00 - 22.30
Palazzo Reale
Piazza del Duomo, 12
20122, Milano
Here the complete list of the other side events taking place in the same days of the Festival.
- Cfp Bauer. “Is this Water”. Curated by the professors and the students of the school.
- Condominio. “Twin Spark”. Curated by Giulia Restifo and Alessandro Calabrese . Artists: Anca Adina Bettega, Matteo Capriotti, Caterina Dondi, and Francesca Rossi.
- Armani/Silos. "Guy Bourdin: Storyteller". Curated by Giorgio Armani and the Guy Bourdin Estate.
- Leica Galerie. “James’ House” and “Hunting Heart”. Artists: Jacob and Sara Aue Sobol. Curated by Maurizio Beucci and Claudio Composti.
- Istituto italiano di Fotografia. “Ex Novo. Digestioni a catena”. Artists: Giuseppe Laera and Luigi Notarnicola.
- Perimetro. “MATCH!”. An experimental workshop curated by Perimetro Learn.
- Podbielski Contemporary. “Mirabilia”. Artist: Silvia Camporesi.
- Micamera. “Swim Till I Sank”. Artist: Gabriele Stabile.
- 29 Arts in Progress Gallery. “Michel Haddi: Beyond Fashion”.
- Still Fotografia. "Giorgio Galimberti: alchimia dell’ombra". Curated by Alessandro Curti.
- Monica De Cardenas Gallery. “Stephan Balkenhol” .
PhotoVogue Festival is a project directed by Alessia Glaviano (Head of Global PhotoVogue) and co-curated by Francesca Marani (Senior Photo Editor, Vogue Italia), Chiara Bardelli Nonino (Editor, Writer and Curator), Daniel Rodríguez Gordillo (Content Operations Strategy Manager, Condé Nast) and Caterina De Biasio (Visual Editor, PhotoVogue)
