A photographer's dream exhibition! Foto Arsenal Wien to reopen with extensive Magnum Photos show

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Foto Arsenal Wien is scheduled to reopen next month with a bang, showcasing the profound impact of Magnum Photos

An American young girl, Jan Rose Kasmir, confronts the American National Guard outside thePentagon during the 1967 anti-Vietnam march. This march helped to turn public opinionagainst the US war in Vietnam, Washington DC, USA, 1967.© Marc Riboud / Fonds Marc Riboud au MNAAG/Magnum Photos
An American young girl, Jan Rose Kasmir, confronts the American National Guard outside thePentagon during the 1967 anti-Vietnam march. This march helped to turn public opinionagainst the US war in Vietnam, Washington DC, USA, 1967 (Image credit: © Marc Riboud / Fonds Marc Riboud au MNAAG/ Magnum Photos)

After an 18-month closure for renovations, Foto Arsenal Wien – a renowned art center in Vienna, Austria – is set to reopen its doors on March 21 2025, with a major exhibition dedicated to one of the most influential photography agencies in history: Magnum Photos.

Titled Magnum: A World of Photography, the exhibition delves into the archives of the world-renowned collective, offering an extensive insight into the images and processes that have shaped modern photojournalism.

Foto Arsenal Wien, under the leadership of Director Felix Hoffmann, is committed to showcasing the full spectrum of photography, from emerging talents to established icons. With a spacious 3,280 square-feet exhibition area, the institution plans to host up to 10 exhibitions per year, cementing its place as a premier destination for photography enthusiasts.

James Dean haunted Times Square. For a novice actor in the fifties this was the place to go. The Actors Studio, directed by Lee Strasberg, was in its heyday and just a block away, NewYork City, USA, 1955. From the contact sheet. (Image credit: © Dennis Stock / Magnum Photos)

The reopening exhibition, Magnum: A World of Photography, explores the strategies of distributing and archiving photographs while examining what makes certain shots iconic. The show features more than three hundred images spanning seven decades, including work by legendary Magnum photographers such as Robert Capa, Elliott Erwitt, Inge Morath, Bruce Davidson, and Martin Parr.

Through vintage prints, contact sheets, and unseen archival material, visitors will get a rare behind-the-scenes look at the editorial selection process that determined which images made it to print – truly a photographer's dream exhibit!

"It is hard to imagine that there is even one person in the world who is not familiar with at least one photograph from Magnum," explains Hoffmann, curator and artistic director.

"One of the things that we investigate in this exhibition is how that is possible. To this end, we have dug up some treasures from the archives that have never been shown in public before and will not be repeated in this form".

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, people spontaneously took to the streets to protest againstthe Constitutional Court's (controlled by the right wing PiS party) declaration that factuallycriminalises abortion even in cases of fatal damage to the fetus, Warsaw, Poland, 22 October 2020 (Image credit: © Rafal Milach / Magnum Photos)

The exhibition not only highlights the iconic imagery that defined 20th-century photojournalism, but also connects past narratives to contemporary perspectives. Alongside the historical archives, contemporary Magnum photographers such as Susan Meiselas, Bieke Depoorter and Rafał Milach present work that reflects on the agency’s legacy in the context of a modern landscape.

In addition to the Magnum exhibition, Foto Arsenal Wien will also debut Clean Thoughts/Clean Images, a solo show by artist Simon Lehner, running concurrently from March 21 to June 1. Together, these two exhibitions mark an ambitious new chapter for the institution, celebrating both the rich history of photography and its ever-evolving future.

Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Spain, 1987 (Image credit: © Peter Marlow / Magnum Photos)

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Kalum Carter
Kalum Carter
Staff Writer

Kalum is a professional photographer with over a decade of experience, also working as a photo editor and photography writer. Specializing in photography and art books, Kalum has a keen interest in the stories behind the images and often interviews contemporary photographers to gain insights into their practices. With a deep passion for both contemporary and classic photography, Kalum brings this love of the medium to all aspects of his work.

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