»Venezia’79 la Fotografia« Reconstruction and Reflexion of an Exhibition
Venice has been considered a capital of the arts since the Renaissance at the latest. It is still known today as a cosmopolitan metropolis where artists from all over Europe meet, exchange ideas and learn from each other. Since 1895, the Biennale di Venezia has been held in the lagoon city every two years. Through the initiative of Cornell Capa, director of the I.C.P. (International Center of Photography) in New York and the photographer Chris Broadbent, as well as the Venice City Council, the idea was born in 1977 to conceive a Biennale for Photography 140 years after the development of photography, dedicated exclusively to the medium. It was to be an international showcase of contemporary and modern photography, taking into account the past, present and future of the medium in equal measure. The project was organized and financed by the Cultural Department of the City of Venice, UNESCO and with Cornell Capa of the I.C.P. as artistic director. Previously, there had only been isolated exhibitions with photographers within the Venice Art Biennale and in European art museums. Until “Venezia’79 la Fotografia”, photography was mostly regarded by the public as a means to an end. Photography was the servant for tabloids, advertising, postcard images, forensic science, scientific documentation for art history to prove how things had been, or it served the family as a souvenir image. For “Venezia’79”, about 3,600 works were collected for 26 exhibitions at 6 venues and 45 workshops with internationally renowned photographers were organized. The extended supporting programme included a conference in Modena to discuss photography as a cultural asset. Venezia’79” is still considered one of the most important photo events for the recognition of modern photography as a museum object. In a search for traces, the genesis of “Venezia’79” will be traced and a reconstruction based on historical material will be created. The exhibition concept and structure, locations, spaces, design and installation will be analyzed and described. The collectors and collections, themes, individual exhibitions, photographers and the supporting program will be researched, illuminated and questioned in the following investigation. In addition, the graphic design of the accompanying print media, orientation and guidance system and outdoor advertising will be researched, analysed and critically described. Press reports will be evaluated for the exhibition reflection. For further analysis, scientific works and exhibition views will be consulted. In this work, the exhibitions will be reconstructed with the exception of the artworks. The sustainability of the presentation and exhibition mediation for author photography as well as the following exhibitions and the participation in the workshops will be illuminated.
Text: Benjamin Ochse