MIA -The Ambiguous Nature of Images
Today photography, with its specific and autonomous language and thanks to its constant technical and stylistic developments, is widely recognized as a legitimate art form. Photography dialogues with its artistic way of expressions, and with the wonders about its own nature and future. Collectors, art lovers and professionals are more and more interested in this medium, which seems to have broken the boundaries of fine art, gaining its own status. The international events devoted to the richness of historical and contemporary photographic creations are increasing day by day.
With 268 exhibitors among galleries, independent photographers, publishers and photo printers coming from 16 countries, MIA, Milan Image Art Fair – the most important fair dedicated to photography in Italy – comes back to Milan for its second edition, which promises to be even more successful than the first one.
With an unusual and unique educational approach, the fair presents a full programme of exhibitions, workshops and talks, which aim at furthering the knowledge of the different trends that have characterized the language of photography in the last decades. From the researches on topics connected with sociological and philosophical aspects – mainly focused on investigating the individual and collective identity -, to the visionary approaches that highlight the ambiguous nature of reproduced images, MIA covers the wide spectrum of interpretations from the world that photographers have been creating during the years. A special pavilion, dedicated to fashion photography, displays the works by Albert Watson, Michel Comte, Herb Ritts, Malick Sidibè, Uli Weber, Rodney Smith along with the fashion/cultural phenomenon The Sartorialist (just to mention a few).
The icing on the cake, a myriad of collateral events and special projects as “Elliott Erwitt, Fifty kids” or “Hubertus Hamm and BMW” – a collection of images depicting children shot by Elliott Erwitt, and a solo show by the German photographer Hubertus Hamm, director of the main campaigns of the famous car brand -, accompany the fair, which opens today at Superstudio Più (in Tortona district). MIA is taking stock of the current situation of photography in contemporary art market providing an international overview and trying to transform Milan in a centre of photography. We just hope that the fair will be able to maintain the promises and pay the high expectations back, since the city, after the euphoria of the Salone, seems to be fallen back into a deep cultural sleep and constantly need waves of new and strong incentives.
Milan Image Art Fair, MIA, will run until May 6, 2012
