Lisetta Carmi's Five Lives Explored in Perugia Exhibition
The "Lisetta Carmi. Cinque strade" (Five Paths) exhibition is currently on display at the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria in Perugia, running until September 27, 2026. This showcase honors the legacy of Italian photographer Lisetta Carmi, born in Genoa in 1924 and passing away in Cisternino in 2022. Originally a pianist, she escaped to Switzerland during World War II and pursued music until 1960. Her photography journey began while working with ethnomusicologist Leo Levi in Puglia, where she documented rural life. Her extensive portfolio features social reportage from Genoa, a focus on the port, and projects across Sardinia, Europe, Latin America, and Afghanistan. The exhibition highlights five distinct phases of her career, including the 1965 "Travestiti" portraits and a project inspired by Luigi Dallapiccola, reflecting her depth and realism.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Lisetta Carmi. Cinque strade' at Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria, Perugia, until September 27, 2026.
- Lisetta Carmi (1924-2022) was born in Genoa to a wealthy Jewish family and fled to Switzerland during WWII.
- She was a pianist until 1960, then turned to photography.
- Her first photographs were taken in Puglia with ethnomusicologist Leo Levi, using an Agfa Silette.
- The exhibition covers five phases: reportage from Genoa and Sardinia, 'Erotismo e autoritarismo' (Staglieno cemetery), 'Travestiti' (1965), collaboration with Leo Levi, and a project based on Dallapiccola's 'Quaderno musicale di Annalibera'.
- Works are courtesy of Archivio Lisetta Carmi and Martini & Ronchetti.
- A portrait of Carmi by Giovanna Calvenzi (2017) is featured.
- The exhibition is part of the Camera Oscura series at the museum.
Entities
Artists
- Lisetta Carmi
- Leo Levi
- Luigi Dallapiccola
- Giovanna Calvenzi
- Ezra Pound
- Roberto Lacarbonara
- Giovanni Battista Martini
- Alessandro Zechini
- Cecilia Pavone
Institutions
- Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria
- Archivio Lisetta Carmi
- Martini & Ronchetti
- Artribune
- Castello Carlo V
- Museo Osvaldo Licini
- Essedì di Roma
- Bhole Baba
Locations
- Perugia
- Italy
- Genoa
- Cisternino
- Switzerland
- Puglia
- Sardinia
- Latin America
- Afghanistan
- India
- Staglieno
- Lecce
- Sicily
- Orgosolo
- Sant'Ambrogio di Zoagli
- Rapallo
- Washington
- Ascoli Piceno
- Cornegliano