A Hard, Merciless Light. The Worker-Photography Movement, 1926-1939

Lajos Tabák. Bodegón Moderno, 1930. Modern Still Life. Gelatinobromuro de plata.

José Suárez. De la serie "Marineros", ca. 1935. From the series "Sailors" Gelatinobromuro de plata.

Misiones Pedagógicas. Grupo de campesinos observando la llegada de las Misiones Pedagógicas, ca. 1932. Group of Peasants Watching the Arrival of the Pedagogic Missions. Gelatinobromuro de plata. Residencia de Estudiantes, Madrid.

Fotografías de Nora Dumas. Gelatinobromuro de Plata. 

Nora Dumas. Sin título. Untitled, 1935.

A Hard, Merciless Light. The Worker-Photography Movement, 1926-1939 examines the period during the history of 20th century photography in which photography joined forces with various worker movements (ranging from trade unionism to the creation of “workers' states” like the Soviet one), motivated by growing working-class consciousness and the idea of taking over the means of production and reproduction of images. By looking at the artistic avant-garde in its interconnection with the political avant-garde, this exhibition challenges hegemonic historiography that focuses primarily on other movements arising in the history of photography, such as the New Vision. The exhibition displaces the importance of mechanical vision and instead considers photography's relationship with social movements, shifting the debate toward photography as a document. It presents photographs (many of which are vintage copies), films and other documents, with special attention being paid to periodicals, the fundamental medium for the circulation of images and the ideas associated with them during these years.
Dates: April 6 - August 22, 2011
Place: Museo Reina Sofía (Floor 3), Madrid, Spain.
Curator: Jorge Ribalta