Paul Strand e Cesare Zavattini. Un paese

Paul Strand e Cesare Zavattini.

The History and Legacy of Un paese

This exhibit revolves around one of the first photo books ever produced in Italy: Un Paese – Portrait of an Italian Village, first published by Einaudi in 1955. The images of the U.S. photographer and the texts of the Italian author come together in this book, largely influenced by the Italian Neorealismo, to tell the lives and stories of humble inhabitants of a small village in the Po Valley, Luzzara, chosen as a mirror of the spirit of a community as well as of the universal rhythm of these lives connected to their land.

The exhibition also offers the opportunity to explore how the book was an inspiration to more authors, photographers, writers and artists, by becoming a reference in photography and literature in terms of exploring the relationship between image and writing: photographs by Gianni Berengo Gardin (who collaborated with Zavattini on Un Paese, Twenty Years Later in 1976), Luigi Ghirri, Stephen Shore, Olivo Barbieri, including Claudio Parmiggiani’s artistic research, were on display.

Immagine: Paul Strand, The Post mistress, Luzzara. da: Paul Strand Cesare Zavattini, Un paese, Einaudi editore, 1955, pag. 97; Colecciones FUNDACIÓN MAPFRE © Fernando Maquieira, 2017 ©Aperture Foundation Inc., Paul Strand Archive