Magnum Photos in Sirmione: Cristina de Middel

Magnum Photos a Sirmione: Cristina de Middel
Guided tour of the exhibition “La voce delle mani”
and presentation of the Callas project in Sirmione
Saturday 22 October, 6.00 pm, Palazzo Callas Exhibitions

Book your place at the meeting with Cristina de Middel

Cristina de Middel, photographer of Magnum Photos, will accompany the public on a guided tour of the exhibition La voce delle mani, Maria Callas and the Italians, Photographs by Cristina de Middel and Richard Kalvar.
The part of the exhibition dedicated to her work is dedicated to the way in which Maria Callas used gestures on the stage. When Maria Callas began to rise to the status of “Diva”, with a voice that would stand out and create the legend she has become, it was Luchino Visconti, director of cinema and theater, who shaped her as an actress. In his words: “Visconti made me discover how to act on stage. He taught me that the less I move on stage for no real reason, the more my true personality is reflected. ” In Maria Callas’ minimalist performances, her gestures are perceived as a delicate ritual in which her hands, to the rhythm of the music, express themselves with the same strength as her voice.

At the end of the guided tour Cristina de Middel will present her photographic project dedicated to Maria Callas that she is making in Sirmione. During the meeting, the first stage of the project will be presented, which will end in the spring of next year.

Cristina de Middel was born in Spain and lives between Mexico and Brazil. She joined Magnum Photos in 2017 and became president of the agency in 2022. Her drive for an unconventional angle to photography developed after a 10-year career as a photojournalist when her acclaimed series came out. The Afronauts (2012) in which through staged re-enactments of dark narratives, he challenged the traditional representation of the African continent. In addition to other acclaimed personal projects, De Middel has worked on commission for clients including The Nobel Peace Foundation, Christian Dior, Vanity Fair USA, Vogue USA and FC Barcelona. Her language investigates the ambiguous relationship of photography with truth. By combining documentary and conceptual photographic practices, assuming that mass media are reducing our real understanding of the world we live in.