Graciela Iturbide's Five-Decade Retrospective Opens at ICP New York
From October 2025 through January 12, 2026, the International Center of Photography in New York will showcase 'Serious Play,' a comprehensive retrospective of Graciela Iturbide, a renowned Mexican photographer. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with Fundación MAPFRE, features nearly 200 images spanning five decades, focusing on themes of culture, ritual, and imagination within Mexico and beyond. Born in Mexico City in 1942, Iturbide transitioned from studying film to photography under the guidance of Manuel Álvarez Bravo. Her notable early works include capturing the Seri Indians and spending ten years with the Juchitán community. Iturbide's photography combines documentary precision with a poetic touch, highlighting women's roles and influence, and her legacy is recognized by contemporary photographers for its social and aesthetic significance.
Key facts
- Graciela Iturbide's retrospective 'Serious Play' runs from October 2025 to 12 January 2026 at the International Center of Photography in New York.
- The exhibition features nearly 200 images spanning five decades of Iturbide's career.
- Iturbide was born in Mexico City in 1942 and studied film before shifting to photography under Manuel Álvarez Bravo.
- She worked as Álvarez Bravo's assistant from 1970 to 1971, traveling across Mexico.
- Key projects include documentation of the Seri Indians in Sonoran Desert and the Juchitán community in Oaxaca.
- ICP CEO Bob Jeffrey describes Iturbide as one of the best photographers and an inspiration globally.
- The exhibition is organized in partnership with Fundación MAPFRE, which holds the largest collection of her work outside Mexico.
- Iturbide's work connects to artists like Tacita Dean, Rineke Dijkstra, Mariana Yampolsky, Lola Álvarez Bravo, and Tracey Emin.
Entities
Artists
- Graciela Iturbide
- Manuel Álvarez Bravo
- Tacita Dean
- Rineke Dijkstra
- Mariana Yampolsky
- Lola Álvarez Bravo
- Tracey Emin
- Daniela Rossell
- Alejandra Samudio
- Anna Müller
Institutions
- International Center of Photography
- Fundación MAPFRE
- Centro de Estudios Cinematográficos
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
- Aesthetica Magazine
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Mexico City
- Mexico
- Sonoran Desert
- Oaxaca
- Havana
- Cuba
- Panama
- India
- Netherlands
- United Kingdom