Magazzini Fotografici was born from an idea by Yvonne De Rosa with the specific intent of creating a non-profit space that had as its objective the dissemination of photography aimed at creating a dialogue that is an opportunity for exchange and cultural enrichment. Located in the historic center of Naples, in about eight years of activity it has already hosted numerous focuses and exhibitions and artists of international value such as Letizia Battaglia, Lisetta Carmi, Gabriele Basilico, Mario Giacomelli, Luciano D’ Alessandro, Gianni Minà, Chris Steele-Perkins, Silvia Plachy, Laura Pannack, the Cesura collective, Brian Griffin, Boogie and many others.
Yvonne De Rosa, autoritratto fotografico
Francesco Liggieri: I wanted to make it clear who are you is without introducing you: could you describe yourself with the title of a work of art?
Yvonne De Rosa: If I had to choose a title for myself, I would say Untitled. I don’t want to cage myself in a single definition. I am an artist, a photographer, a cultural operator and maybe in the future even more. Untitled leaves room for interpretation, for the freedom to be, grow and change.
In Italy, in museum exhibitions and elsewhere, there is a lack of works by young artists, unlike the good practice of giving them visibility adopted in other countries. Do you think it is a cultural, social issue or simply a lackof courage?
I think it is a matter of courage. It is easy to win with the great classics, but difficult to take responsibility for a possible flop. But without risk there is no innovation. The beauty of an independent space is precisely this: no obligation, no fear. I can absolutely make mistakes, but I take the liberty – and the duty – to do.
Magazzini Fotografici, Palazzo Caracciolo D’Avellino, Napoli
Should the public be educated or entertained in an art exhibition?
The public must be educated. Those who work in culture have a duty to do so. Today we are constantly entertained by a continuous flow of content that simplifies everything for us and relieves us of responsibility. Thus, every day, we erode our awareness and our capacity for critical judgment. Art and the places dedicated to it should be places of awakening, of comparison and not of consumption. We must not indulge the passivity of the spectator, but stimulate him, challenge him, give him tools to see and think critically.
What advice would you give to a young person who wanted to follow your same professional path?
I would recommend studying sociology, literature, history, psychology and everything that helps to understand the world and the human being. I studied Political Science and it was the experience that most enriched my work, both as an artist and as a cultural operator. Technique is learned, but it is the thought that makes the difference. To work with images, you must first understand the stories they tell and the context in which they are born. Defending an idea, fighting for a principle, creating culture is a battle, and to fight it you must be equipped.
Magazzini Fotografici, Palazzo Caracciolo D’Avellino, Napoli
What is the “health” state of Italian photography today?
I don’t want to and can’t act like a know-it-all, nor would I like to fall into paternalistic comments. But one thing is certain: I don’t know of any exhibitions about “male photography” or “what it means to be a photographer and a father”. I am a white and privileged woman, and for this very reason I feel the duty to not give in and to point out certain things. Because in the world there are women who can’t even go to school, let alone discuss wage equality. The only way to change things is to stop pretending they don’t exist.
Can you tell us how the idea behind Magazzini Fotografici was born?
It was born by chance, but also out of necessity. I didn’t have a specific project in mind, but I had a clear need: to create a place. I imagined a space where photography could be experienced in an authentic way. After years abroad, I returned to Naples, found this former abandoned warehouse and understood that it could become something new. I didn’t just want an exhibition space, but a living place, where photography wasn’t closed inside frames and captions, but could generate dialogue, encounters, ideas. And then, let’s face it, if we wait for things to happen by themselves, we remain still. That’s what I decided to do.
Magazzini Fotografici, Palazzo Caracciolo D’Avellino, Napoli
What can realities like Magazzini Fotografici do for the cultural growth of the country?
By educating people to experiment, to the beauty of making mistakes, to the need to support cultural work like any other sector. Culture is not a luxury, it is a pillar of society. If we want a country that grows, we must stop treating culture as something superfluous. These spaces are essential not only for those who live them, but also for those who recognize their value and believe in them.
Is there a place that you identify as the beginning of your journey and your work, in your memory?
There is a place that, for me, is the beginning of everything: school. Not only as an institution, but as a sacred space for learning, for discovery. It is there that I began to understand the value of what it really means to look, listen, observe the world around you. The sacredness of school lies in the fact that it provides you with the tools to create and to reflect. It is the place where I laid the foundations for everything I have done and still do today, both as an artist and as a cultural operator.
Magazzini Fotografici, Palazzo Caracciolo D’Avellino, Napoli
Is there an exhibition or project you would like to do?
Every time I finish one, the curiosity to learn pushes me to think about the next one. As long as there is this curiosity, there will always be new projects.
What is your relationship with social networks?
I try to learn to stop using them.
If you could involve a historical or fictional character in your work team, who would you choose?
Simone de Beauvoir, Susan Sontag: both have made fundamental contributions to contemporary culture and thought, even if their areas of interest and their approach are different… what a dream it would have been to meet them!
Info:
Independent artist and curator. Founder of No Title Gallery in 2011. I observe, study, ask questions, take informations and live in contemporary art, a real stimulus for my research.
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