Sanja Iveković and Franco Vaccari Reunited in Exhibition Exploring Early Media Art and Audience Interaction

Curator Marco Scotini introduces the first joint exhibition of Sanja Iveković and Franco Vaccari in more than forty years, featuring eight pieces created between 1969 and 1978. Both artists are recognized for their innovative use of photography and video to encourage social engagement. In their formative years, they incorporated typewritten text alongside black-and-white images. The exhibition focuses on their initial explorations of themes like surveillance and narcissism. Vaccari's 1972 piece, Exhibition in real time N.5, at the Venice Biennale, encouraged attendees to leave photographic imprints, fostering a sense of collective authorship. Meanwhile, Iveković's 1978 video Inter Nos showcased virtual interactions through CCTV. Their previous collaboration took place in 1973 at Trigon 73 in Graz, where Vaccari's Secret Communication linked different spaces through a camera. The exhibition underscores their unique relationships with viewers and formal similarities.