André Kertész Retrospective at Camera Torino

Camera – Centro italiano per la Fotografia in Turin opens its season with a major retrospective dedicated to Hungarian photographer André Kertész (1894–1985), featuring over 150 images. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with the Médiathèque du patrimoine et de la photographie (MPP) in Paris, traces Kertész's career from his early amateur work during World War I to his Parisian years influenced by Surrealism and his later period in New York. Kertész, considered the father of contemporary photography by Henri Cartier-Bresson and a mentor to Brassaï, believed that photography could capture the true nature of things through observation. The show includes previously unseen images from his New York years, where he worked freelance for magazines like Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and Look after a brief stint at the Keystone agency. Despite seeking critical recognition, his intimate and lyrical style often went unappreciated during his lifetime. The exhibition highlights his versatility and enduring influence, with works ranging from street scenes to still lifes taken in Piet Mondrian's studio. Kertész continued photographing even during illness, using a zoom lens from his window overlooking Washington Square Park, resulting in the book 'From My Window' (1981). Portraits of cultural figures like Sergei Eisenstein, Kiki de Montparnasse, and Ossip Zadkine are also featured. The exhibition is curated by Federica Maria Giallombardo.