Contemporary Photography from the Middle East and Africa

The third volume in the series dedicated to the international collection of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena, Breaking News gathers over 120 works, comprising photographs, videos and installations, from Africa and the Middle East. These are the two new geographical areas explored by the Fondazione Fotografia after the journey through the Far East in Asian Dub Photography and the look at Eastern Europe in History, Memory, Identity.
Like breaking news flashes, the work of the twenty-one artists presented in the volume calls attention to pressing current issues in this part of the world, such as the exploitation of the Niger Delta, the situation in Iran, the Arab-Israeli conflict, or the new social imbalances in South Africa.
The works in Breaking News train their eye on the present without losing sight of the past, which is highlighted in discussions of the cultural and artistic traditions of the different countries and through images that constitute bona fide historical documents.
The explanatory materials included in the catalogue—the texts introducing the works and the biographies of the artists—guide us on our exploration of this part of the world, underscoring the multiplicity of critical issues affecting it, not least of which is its complex relationship with the West.
 
 
Modena, Ex Ospedale Sant’Agostino
28 November 2010 – 13 March 2011