Vivian Maier Exhibition at Scuderie di Pavia Reveals Nanny-Photographer's Legacy

Over 120 black-and-white and color photographs, along with super 8 mm films, reconstruct the story of Vivian Maier (1926-2009) at the Scuderie del Castello Visconteo in Pavia until May 5, 2019. Curated by Anne Morin and Piero Francesco Pozzi, the exhibition spans self-portraits, street photography, portraits, and color works, showcasing Maier's ability to merge harsh social realities with rare compositional beauty. Born in New York in 1926, Maier spent her early years in France before returning to the U.S. in 1951. She worked as a nanny for wealthy families in New York City, never married, and had no children. Photography was her consuming passion; she often prioritized buying film over developing it, leaving many rolls undeveloped. After her death, real estate agent John Maloof recovered her archive by purchasing 120,000 negatives at auction that Maier had been forced to sell in the 1990s due to financial collapse. The exhibition is part of Pavia's strategy to attract audiences through photography, with a future show featuring Chinese photographer Zeng Yi at the Musei Civici. Maier's work is defined as Straight photography for its direct capture of reality, as noted by curator Pozzi, who emphasizes her sensitivity and ability to compose narratives through relationships between subjects and backgrounds. The exhibition includes a vintage Rolleiflex camera, the model Maier always wore around her neck.