Raffaella Perna on Photography, Feminism, and Italian Academia
Raffaella Perna highlights the expansion of photography courses in Italian universities, particularly at Bologna, Parma, and Roma Tre, featuring educators such as Claudio Marra and Federica Muzzarelli. At Sapienza, Ilaria Schiaffini oversees internships and seminars. Perna commends a conference organized by Chiara Agradi and Emanuele Carlenzi, which included presentations from Schiaffini and Silvia Bordini. Future initiatives involve a compilation on Renato Mambor and a collection focused on Ketty La Rocca. Perna's research encompasses photography, art, and feminism in Italy, and she partners with Donata Pizzi to explore the work of Italian female photographers. She expresses admiration for modern photographers like Paolo Pellegrin and Susan Meiselas, while lamenting the halted 2011 photography center project at Macro Testaccio, asserting no separation exists between photography and contemporary art.
Key facts
- Raffaella Perna authored 'Arte, fotografia e femminismo in Italia negli anni Settanta' (Postmedia Books, 2013).
- She co-edited 'Ketty La Rocca. Nuovi studi' with Francesca Gallo (Postmedia Books, 2015).
- She curated 'Grandi fotografi a 33 giri' at Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome, 2012.
- She contributed to the exhibition '77 una storia di quarant’anni fa' at Museo di Roma in Trastevere, 2017.
- Photography history courses have increased in Italian universities over the last decade.
- Key professors include Claudio Marra, Federica Muzzarelli, Cristina Casero, Antonello Frongia, and Ilaria Schiaffini.
- Chiara Agradi and Emanuele Carlenzi curated a conference; Ilaria Schiaffini spoke on Tato's photography.
- Silvia Bordini gave a lecture on photobooks from the 1960s to present.
- Perna is editing a miscellany on Renato Mambor for University Press Sapienza.
- She is co-curating an anthology on Ketty La Rocca with Francesca Gallo and the Archivio Ketty La Rocca.
- She collaborates with Donata Pizzi to circulate Pizzi's collection of works by Italian female photographers.
- Pizzi's collection was first shown at Triennale Milano last year.
- Perna admires photographers: Paolo Pellegrin, Susan Meiselas, Simona Ghizzoni, Paola Di Bello, Gea Casolaro, Monica Carocci, Marina Ballo Charmet, Franco Vaccari, Mario Cresci, Luca Patella, Giovanni Hänninen.
- A 2011 plan for a photography center at Macro Testaccio in Rome was abandoned.
- Perna sees convergence between photography and contemporary art, citing Gillian Wearing, Wolfgang Tillmans, Rineke Dijkstra, Thomas Struth.
- Renée Cox analyzes the image of Black women in US media, including Angela Davis, Grace Jones, Beyoncé.
- Aperture issue #225 (Winter 2016) addressed photography and feminism.
- Perna has not seen the Buondì ad and finds most ads not progressive.
Entities
Artists
- Raffaella Perna
- Ketty La Rocca
- Tano D'Amico
- Pablo Echaurren
- Claudio Marra
- Federica Muzzarelli
- Cristina Casero
- Antonello Frongia
- Ilaria Schiaffini
- Chiara Agradi
- Emanuele Carlenzi
- Silvia Bordini
- Renato Mambor
- Francesca Gallo
- Donata Pizzi
- Paolo Pellegrin
- Susan Meiselas
- Simona Ghizzoni
- Paola Di Bello
- Gea Casolaro
- Monica Carocci
- Marina Ballo Charmet
- Franco Vaccari
- Mario Cresci
- Luca Patella
- Giovanni Hänninen
- Gillian Wearing
- Wolfgang Tillmans
- Rineke Dijkstra
- Thomas Struth
- Renée Cox
- Angela Davis
- Grace Jones
- Beyoncé
- Carla Lonzi
- Simone de Beauvoir
- Giorgia Basili
- Giuseppina Di Monte
- Claudio Zambianchi
Institutions
- Postmedia Books
- Derive Approdi
- Auditorium Parco della Musica
- Museo di Roma in Trastevere
- Università di Bologna
- Università di Parma
- Università Roma Tre
- Sapienza Università di Roma
- University Press Sapienza
- Archivio Ketty La Rocca
- Triennale di Milano
- Macro Testaccio
- Comune di Roma
- Aperture
- Artribune
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Bologna
- Parma
- Milan
- United States