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BRUSSELS STOCK EXCHANGEwww.stevemccurryexpo.be
STEVE McCURRY0 4 . 0 3 . 2 0 1 7 > 2 5 . 0 6 . 2 0 1 7
EXPO THE WORLD OF
PRES
S KI
T
PHOTOGRAPHIESAll the photographies of this press kit can be freely
downloaded in high resolution on this website :www.stevemccurryexpo.be/press/
Password : ESMC03042017Compulsory indication : © Steve McCurry
PRESS CONTACTSCharlotte PIENS
+32 (0)2 549 60 53+32 (0)475 42 33 26
Emilie DEROM+32 (0)2 549 60 57+32 (0)472 35 12 [email protected]
“Travelling and taking photos, seeing the world in which we live: I can’t imagine a better way of living this life that has been given to us.”
Over 200 photographs by renowned American photographer Steve McCurry exhibited in Brussels.
- Steve McCurry -
SUMMARY
Inthalake, Myanmar, 2011
© S
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SPECIFIC EVENTS FOR THE EXHIBITION’S OPENING
CONCEPT OF THE EXHIBITION 6
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ITINERARY
STEVE MCCURRY
ANECDOTES
THE EXHIBITION PARTNERS
GENERAL INFORMATION
The exhibition is an outstanding retrospective of Steve McCurry’s work: for the first time in Belgium, over 200 of his photos are being presented to the public who will be able to appreciate his most famous snapshots taken during a career spanning 35 years, as well as a number of previously unpublished photos.
The exhibition, conceived by Biba Giacchetti, takes the form of a lengthy journey across the world of Steve McCurry, from Afghanistan to India, from South-East Asia to Africa, from Cuba to the United States, from Brazil to Italy, via his vast and fascinating repertoire of images in which the human element is always the main focus, even if the image is only fleeting.
CONCEPT OF THE EXHIBITION
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Weligama, Sri Lanka, 1995
Steve McCurry’s aim was to capture poetical images in areas of the world where life is the hardest. These include some recent photos, inspired by his research into an almost metaphysical dimension of space, in which absence is sometimes at the heart of the story and in which his passion for the cinema emerges strongly. Nor does he hesitate to highlight the atrocities of war and the violence that man suffers and sometimes inflicts: from the Twin Towers photographed from his New York studio to the Gulf War, from the Afghan conflict to the Japanese tsunami, from child soldiers to those suffering in hospitals.
The scenography by Peter Botazzi immerses the visitor in a labyrinth of images that impels them towards one discovery after another. Here there is no chronological or topical order but rather a whirlwind of visual tremors, each one stronger than the previous. The visitors have strayed into the artist’s world which they now sees through his eyes.
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The visit begins with a selection of previously unreleased black and white photos, taken by Steve McCurry between 1979 and 1980, during his first mission in Afghanistan when he entered covertly, guided by a group of Mujahidin who were fighting the Soviet invasion. He returned there a number of times, which is where the famous young girl Sharbat Gula came from, whom he photographed in the Peshawar refugee camp in Pakistan. That photo, published by National Geographic, has since become an icon of world photography but also a symbol of hope and peace.
In the exhibition, as a consequence, an entire area has been dedicated to this young woman. Alongside her first portrait, that became iconic, the visitor can discover one that McCurry took of her 17 years later, after searching for her at length. A report tells her story and describes the reunion between the subject and her photographer.
The visitor then enters the labyrinth of images which comprise the heart of the exhibition. The itinerary is fully transparent, since the photos are displayed on transparent fabric (tulle) which represents the presence of the World in the exhibition venue. We are drawn into a vortex of varying ages, cultures, and ethnic groups. Of course each photo has its own caption but with a minimum of information; each person has a discovery to make, to understand what each photo has to say to them. Nevertheless, with approximately fifty of the photos, thanks to an audioguide which is provided free of charge, the visitor can listen to Steve McCurry explaining the story behind his photos with anecdotes and compelling testimonies.
The end of the visit is dedicated to videos in which McCurry des-cribes his travels, his experiences and his concept of photography.
ITINERARY8
STEVE MCCURRYBorn in Philadelphia in 1950, Steve McCurry started work as a photographer for a local newspaper. After three years he was sent to India as a freelance journalist and produced his first portfolio based on photos from that trip. After the publication of his first major work on Afghanistan, he collaborated with some of the most prestigious magazines: Time, Life, Newsweek, Geo and National Geographic. Sent to a variety of war zones, from Beirut to Cambodia, from Kuwait to the former Yugoslavia, Steve McCurry has always crossed the frontline and risked his life to photograph conflicts across the world. A member of the Magnum agency since 1985, he has on several occasions received the World Press Photo Award, considered to be the Nobel Prize for photography.
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Herat, Afghanistan, 1992
ANECDOTESThis bombed out cityscape used to be the city of Herat in Western Afghanistan. This neighborhood had been bombed for 12 consecutive years by the Afghan and Soviet Air force. I visited Herat in the fall of 1992; I was shocked at the devastation. Almost from horizon to horizon as far as you could see was complete devastation. It reminded me of what Dresden in Germany must have looked like during WW2. I realized the impact of this scene and I went back every day for a week photographing at different times of the day, different light…One afternoon I saw this family who had come back and they were starting to rebuild their home and they had a fire going with which they were going to cook their dinner, and I thought this was kind of a rebirth of the city of Herat and this I thought would be the best example of the sort of the “Renaissance”, and this I thought was kind of indicative of the spirit of the Afghan people, how against all odds they came back and were going to rebuild their country.
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People often ask me what my favorite picture is, well, this picture of these women in a dust storm in India might in fact be my favorite picture. I was driving down the road one morning in Rajasthan and all of a sudden this dust storm came out of nowhere. This was pre-monsoon, when it’s hot and dusty and these dust storms can come up at any moment. As the dust storm kind of enveloped my taxi, my first inclination was to roll the windows up and not to get out but then I thought, wait a minute, the whole purpose of my being here is to photograph this pre-monsoon condition so I jumped out, I saw these women off the side of the road and I ran off to try and photograph them.
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Rajasthan, India, 1983
I was walking through the market one morning in Kabul and I saw these women shopping for sport shoes in their traditional ‘burkas’. Photographing women in Afghanistan is a bit of a risk, even though they’re wearing the ‘burka’, you’re still not permitted to photograph them, but the juxtaposition seemed so wonderful that I thought this was a shot worth taking – worth taking a risk for. There’s a taboo against photographing women unless they happen to be your sister, or a member of your family, or your wife or whatever. Street photography is something that I love to practice; I love to walk around the streets of a city and just to see what catches my eye. The power of observation is central to photography, there’s always something interesting to observe in some piece of life…
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Kabul, Afghanistan, 1992
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The exhibition The World of Steve McCurry at the ‘Palais de la Bourse’ in Brussels will open its doors to the public on Saturday 4 March, 2017, from 10 a.m.
In the context of this opening day, various activities will be organized in the surrounding pedestrian areas in order to make this opening a special event, inviting passers-by to enter an expected world of discovery and fun.
A music band playing fanfares, Vetex, has been invited to play in the pedestrian precinct and at the top of the stairs of the Palais de la Bourse from 2:30 p.m. It will play joyful, catchy songs with warm overtones that reflect the image that the exhibition wants to portray.
The Orchestre International du Vetex isn’t a band out of the blue. More than that, it’s a collective of about 15 musicians, from Flanders, Wallonia and the North of France. Since they started up in 2004 in the former textile-plant in the Sint-Jans neighbourhood of Kortrijk, the band played more than 800 concerts in a row.
At 3:30 p.m., 750 balloons in the exhibition colors will be handed out in the precinct. Those receiving one will be invited to release their balloons together at the same time. That moment will mark the official launch of the exhibition.
SPECIFIC EVENTS FOR THE EXHIBITION’S OPENING
More informationwww.stevemccurryexpo.be
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Hunan Province, China, 2004
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THE EXHIBITION PARTNERSCivita Mostre, in collaboration with Sudest57 over the last eight years, has organized around a dozen exhibitions across Italy’s largest cities. These exhibitions have attracted over one million visitors and have been an outstanding success, especially among the younger generation (over 60% of visitors were under 40).
The different exhibition partners supporting the event in Brussels are:
L’ASBL Demeter has the aim of promoting, for the benefit of the general public, both in Belgium, Europe and elsewhere in the world, humanist culture in its various forms – art, history, civilization, popularization of scientific knowledge – and the links between them. To do this, Demeter contributes in particular to the production of exhibitions and a variety of cultural activities that are accessible to all.
The Civita Group, founded in 1987, is an organization that specializes in the promotion of cultural assets, leader in Italy both in the fields of museum administration and the organization of cultural events. Since 2014 Civita has been a member of the IEN - Italian Entertainment Network, a holding company that combines the different branches of the cultural entertainment sector (Civita, Filmmaster and Cinecittà District Entertainment). Civita Mostre is the most recent structure, exclusively dedicated to the organization and promotion of cultural and scenographic events, both in Italy and abroad, in order to contribute to the promotion of artistic patrimony. It offers ambitious exhibitions, on an international scale that highlight different disciplines: anything from the figurative arts, archeology, photography, history, theatrical shows, design, new media to contemporary art.
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Tempora is a Belgian agency for the conception, management, promotion, administration and production of exhibitions, museums and cultural assets. Founded in 1998, it is one of the leaders in the European marketplace. Tempora has designed, managed or produced exhibitions in Brussels of international standing, notably: Dieu(x), modes d’emploi (Brussels, Madrid, Quebec, Ottawa, Paris, Warsaw...); Be Welcome (Atomium and Bois du Cazier); 6 billion Others (Brussels, Good Planet foundation); C’est notre Terre ! (Brussels); L’Amérique c’est aussi notre Histoire! (Brussels), and at preparation stage L’Islam c’est aussi notre Histoire! which will be exhibited in 6 European cities and has been selected as a major cultural project by the European Union.
Sudest57 was founded in 2002 by partners Biba Giacchetti and Giuseppe Ceroni to promote the work of world-renowned photo-grapher Elliott Erwitt. With the arrival of Steve McCurry, the agency began to specialize in the development of photographic exhibitions.
The agency built its reputation across a range of activities: the creation of exhibitions, catalogues, publications, workshops, special relationships with art collectors and its ability to spot new talent.
Sudest57 organizes photographic exhibitions and installations both for museums and private companies. The agency also organizes its own exhibitions. Sudest57 enjoys special relationships with artists, supporting them in their development and their personal projects.
18GENERAL INFORMATION
RATESAdults: 12€ Groups (from 20 people): 10€ Children (6-18 years) and students: 6€ School groups: 6€ Family package (2 adults + 2 children): 32€ + 6€ per extra child Children under 6 years: free
Audioguide (FR/NL/EN) is included Visiting time: 1h - last entrance 1h before closing time
OPENING HOURSFrom Monday until Friday: 9.30 am until 5.30 pm Weekend, Belgian school holidays and public holidays: 10 am until 6 pm©
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Srinagar, Kashmir, 1996
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ADDRESS AND RESERVATIONPalais de la Bourse - Beurspaleis Place de la Bourse - Beursplein Bruxelles 1000 [email protected] www.stevemccurryexpo.be +32(0)2/549.60.49Reservation for groups, guided visits and for the disabled
ACCESSIBILITYThe Boulevard in front of ‘ Palais de la Bourse - Beurspaleis ‘ is a pedestrian zoneTram lines 3 and 4 (Bourse) Metro lines 1 and 5 (De Brouckère) Parking : ́de Brouckère ́, Place de Brouckère, 1 ́58 ́, Rue de l’Evêque, 1 ́Ecuyer ́, Rue de l’Ecuyer, 11 Central Station Brussels: 700mB-Excursions : train + entry
GUIDED VISITS70€ for 1h00 (max 20 pers./guide)Reservation only
AN EXHIBITION PRESENTED BY
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THE EXHIBITION WAS MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
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