Very often, one image tells more than a thousand words. Based on pictures captured all around the world, we get a glimpse into other people’s lives. Thanks to a series of photographs by the Italian photographer Massimo Bietti, who travels the world documenting moments in different corners of our planet, we can gain a better understanding of other nations’ cultures and lives. 

Today, we’d like to share with you a collection of photographs showcasing children from various parts of the globe. What makes Bietti’s photographs stand out so much is how natural they look. The images by the photographer depict real emotions, and without any unnecessary posing, they show the true essence of the portrayed subjects.

More info: Instagram

At the entrance to the massive exhibition “In Our Hands: Native Photography, 1890 to Now” in the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s Target Gallery, there is a photograph of an Osage woman standing in profile, wearing a maroon dress and various floral scarves, her hair tied back in a braid. The photo was taken by Ryan RedCorn, an Osage filmmaker, photographer and screenwriter. It is part of his ongoing series of portraits of Osage people, images that he hopes give people a chance to “see us the way we see ourselves … with love,” as he explains on his Instagram account.

It’s fitting that his picture serves as an introduction to a show of photographs shot by Native people, for Native people. In taking back the gaze, Native photographers push back on colonial narratives by white photographers like Edward Curtis that are more typical to see in Western, Eurocentric museums.

This ambitious exhibition, which includes more than 150 pictures by and for Indigenous people, creates space for histories and Indigenous cultures from the Rio Grande to the Arctic Circle. The show was collaboratively organized by Mia Associate Curator of Native American Art Jill Ahlberg Yohe, Mia Curator Casey Riley, guest curator and photojournalist Jaida Grey Eagle (Oglala Lakota) and a curatorial council of 14 advisers. Decisions for the project were “grounded in Indigenous methodologies, the tenets of which include consensus, relationship building, mutual respect, and reciprocity,” according to the catalog.

The show is organized into three extremely broad sections: A World of Relations, Always Leaders and Always Present. There is a lot of imagery to sift through, and while it would be easy to say that more curatorial work is needed to make this show accessible, the notion of the curator is very much a Western construction that centers this individual in a position of power within a Eurocentric museum structure.

What happens when there are many cooks in the kitchen? There are a lot of dishes. The collaborative curatorial project of this show matches the show’s ideology, but that also makes connecting the dots more labor-intensive for the viewer. There is no privileging of certain types of pictures over others; the curators and curatorial advisory council stated that anything taken by Native people was of interest, from snapshots to high-end art photos. (For more guidance, there is an audio guide available.)

Erica Lord‘s brilliant photograph “Untitled (I Tan to Look More Native),” 2006, from her Tanning Project series, where she challenges and disrupts colonial narratives by imprinting the texts “Indian Looking” and “Colonize Me” onto her body while tanning, is in the last section of the show. Lord, who is of Athabascan, Iñupiat, Finnish, Swedish and Japanese American descent, offers powerful commentary on racist colonial narratives about how Native people “should” look.

In Frank Big Bear‘s (White Earth Nation) huge assemblage “We Are Still Here,” 2014, he organizes small photo collages in a grid, mixing imagery like the Hollywood Sign and the U.S. flag with references to Wounded Knee and the American Indian Movement. Jenny Irene Miller‘s (Iñupiaq) portrait “Cam,” 2016, is part of the photographer’s series of queer and/or nonbinary Indigenous people. (The Iñupiaq people traditionally live in the northernmost region of what is now Alaska.)

Rapheal Begay’s (Diné, [Navajo]) curious photograph “Rez-Dog” (Hunter’s Point, Ariz.), 2017, shows a snarling wild dog stealing the head of a lamb after a post-butchering celebration. On its own the photo would be sort of ordinary, but the thoughtful wall label written by the artist brings it to life, particularly the reflections like “I look at it in the same light as how we treat our unsheltered relatives. There’s this sense of concern, empathy, but there is a lack of responsibility or commitment to help.”

To experience this exhibition, show up, stay open-minded and let your curiosity guide the way. Each of the photographs has a life of its own. In researching this exhibition, I ended up back on Instagram, where I learned more about Ryan RedCorn than I would have just wandering through the show. This exhibition is a starting point for broader and bigger conversations about Native photography and where it is going next.

**

When: Ends Jan. 14.

Where: Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 3rd Av. S.

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue., Wed., Fri.-Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thu.

Cost: $20.

Info: new.artsmia.org or 612-870-3000.

Like any other year, 2023 had its ups and downs.

There were moments of joy, such as the opening day of the State Fair of Texas and the sheer happiness of the Texas Rangers winning their first World Series championship.

There were also extreme lows, like the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Mall.

KERA’s photographers captured the stories that propelled our community and tell the story of 2023.

Jaylan Ford found his groove while dancing to promote local shops on South Cooper Street in Arlington. His more than 15,000 Instagram followers took notice when he took a break from dancing. He was back soon after.

Becky Hines is a certified professional midwife who works in the Dallas area. She assisted Jessica Gamboa at a home birth of her son. The two shared their incredible trust and friendship during the process.

Daphne Rio is passionate about drag as an art form that’s a mix of costuming, makeup, drama, comedy. Lawmakers in the Texas Legislature have recently proposed bills regulating drag shows and performers are worried they can lose everything.

On May 6 a gunman opened fire at the Allen Premium Mall with an AR-15 style assault rifle aimed at people on the sidewalk. Seven people died at the scene, officials said, while two died at the hospital. Seven more were injured.

Santos Rodriguez was a 12-year-old boy shot and killed by a Dallas police officer 50 years ago. Dallas residents turned out Sunday, July 24, for a commemoration with a march that began at Pike Park near downtown Dallas.

On Nov. 1, the Texas Rangers made history.

The team beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games, with a decisive 5-0 shutout to become the World Series champions in the first time in franchise history.

Finda Koroma has lived in her spacious brick four-bedroom home in Mesquite since 2005. But now, she’s facing eviction after her homeowner’s association board — some of her neighbors — voted to foreclose on her house and sold it to recoup a $3,542.64 debt.

December 25, 2023

Lead ImagePhotography by Chan-Yang Kim

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As the holiday season unfolds, the air buzzes with the spirit of Christmas and the anticipation of a New Year. Amidst this festive cheer, photography enthusiasts, equipped with their smartphones, stand ready to capture these precious moments. Particularly, owners of the latest flagship models, like the iPhone 15 Pro, have an added advantage with the advanced camera features such as the Spatial Video capture and Cinematic mode at their disposal.

Master the Art of Group Photos

While the Ultra Wide camera lens on these smartphones is a boon for capturing expansive landscapes, it may not be the best choice for group photos. The reason being, the edge distortion it may cause. The article advises stepping back a bit to include everyone in the frame, rather than resorting to the ultra-wide lens.

The importance of a clean lens cannot be overstated. A smudged lens can drastically reduce the quality of the photos. It’s recommended to regularly clean the phone’s lens using a microfiber cloth to ensure crystal clear, vibrant images.

Embrace the Flexibility of RAW

For those looking to capture the intricate details of decorations and lights, shooting in RAW offers unparalleled flexibility. The format retains more information, allowing for greater control during post-production editing, thereby ensuring that the festive lights and ornaments are depicted in all their glory.

When it comes to taking portraits, using the longest or telephoto lens promises natural-looking photos. It offers better background compression and subject isolation, making the subjects stand out against the backdrop. The iPhone 15 lineup’s improvements to Portrait mode and the Photographic Styles feature further enhance this effect.

Prop it up for Visual Appeal

Finally, the article suggests infusing creativity into the frames by adding props such as a Santa cap or positioning the subjects against aesthetically pleasing backgrounds like a decorated Christmas tree. This not only adds an element of fun but also makes the images visually appealing.

These tips aim to help users make the most of their smartphone cameras, combining technical know-how with creative flair to create lasting memories of the holiday season.

Our top 10 art and culture stories of 2023, chosen by arts & culture editor Hannah Silver, include in-depth profiles and photography-book deep-dives, and range from ANOHNI to Nan Goldin, Moomins and messy motherhood. Enjoy our highlights of the year (in no particular order). 

Wallpaper’s top 10 art and culture stories of 2023

01. Artist Nan Goldin confronts power and accountability in the US opioid crisis

Addiction is a complex beast. It can masquerade as cure, ally or pleasure, but often results in pain. Artist Nan Goldin knows about addiction; she’s been inside it, witnessed it, and documented its many facets. She has also confronted its pain, those who have profited from that pain, and used her platform as a force for reckoning.  

Goldin first took Oxycontin (a strong opioid-based painkiller) in 2014 for tendonitis in her wrist. She had struggled with heroin addiction in the 1980s and got sober; this was different, she was hooked overnight. ‘It was the cleanest drug I’d ever met,’ she said in a now-landmark 2018 essay for Artforum, explaining how her life revolved around the painkiller: ‘Counting and recounting, crushing and snorting was my full-time job. I rarely left the house. All work, all friendships, all news took place on my bed. When I ran out of money for Oxy, I copped dope. I ended up snorting fentanyl and I overdosed.’  

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02. Stephen Galloway on turning movement into magic

In any creative process, there’s a search for that magical moment when you hit the mark. And in any creative process, the stage can be perfectly set – so to speak – yet that special moment never comes. Which is why today’s most sought-after creatives – whether working on a photo shoot, music video, TV commercial or the catwalk of a fashion show – rely on Stephen Galloway as a guarantee to bring the magic. Using the roll of a shoulder, the twist of a head, the exact placement of an arch of a foot, Galloway – featured in our Wallpaper* USA 300 – has pioneered a unique profession as a creative movement director.

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03. The rich, creative life of Moomins creator Tove Jansson

As a female, queer artist working in the years before and after the Second World War, Finnish artist and Moomins creator Tove Jansson (1914-2001) was compelled to carve out a unique career as a painter, illustrator and, later, author. Her fantastical, rich aesthetic was reflected in her vibrant personality, both of which came together in her rich body of work, which encompasses texts, illustrations and paintings. 

Jansson’s eclectic body of work became the subject of a Paris exhibition in autumn 2023, ‘Houses of Tove Jansson’, curated by art institution The Community. Produced both with Jansson’s estate and Moomin Characters, the retrospective examined Jansson’s life and oeuvre and, for the first time, considered her work alongside that of contemporary artists. 

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04. Avery Singer considers 9/11 trauma and corporate anonymity at Hauser & Wirth

The image of 9/11 is viscerally stamped into collective memory. Media photographs of planes impacting, buildings collapsing, and bodies falling have been so widely proliferated that those who weren’t in New York may feel as though they saw the attack firsthand. Avery Singer’s ‘Free Fall’ at Hauser & Wirth London, coinciding with Frieze London 2023, offered a new perspective. The installation tangles together the artist’s childhood memories of the Twin Towers, in which her mother worked; her own trauma following the attack; and the survivors made famous through widely distributed press images. 

Both Hauser & Wirth’s Saville Row galleries were turned, floor to ceiling, into office spaces. One gallery housed a long corridor that wound into the main room; the other, an imposing wall of elevators. The windows were panelled to match those of the towers, with 18in gaps meant to combat vertigo. ‘Corporate aesthetic in the last few decades hasn’t changed that much. It’s all beige, neutral tones,’ said the artist. ‘It’s oppressive and ugly but also calming.’

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05. Wallpaper* contributing editor Ekow Eshun explores time, identity and cultural memory in Ghana

Sankofa – the Ghanaian concept of revisiting the past in order to move forwards – was considered in an exhibition, ‘In and Out of Time’, held at Gallery 1957 in Accra, Ghana, that wove together different mediums, in a questioning of the traditional linear concept of progress. 

Curator and Wallpaper* contributing editor Ekow Eshun worked with both established and emerging artists for the exhibition. ‘Very simply with a group exhibition, I’m always looking to connect with artists I’m excited and inspired by,’ he said. ‘In the case of this exhibition that means artists whose work offers imaginative perspectives on time, cultural memory and African diasporic identity.’

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06. Max Richter: ‘Visual art culture is wide open in a way that classical music, unfortunately, sort of isn’t’

Some music glides gently over the skin, Max Richter’s goes straight under it. The German-born British composer’s universe seems to function around slow creativity and contemplation: the gradual, ethereal burn of his music; the slow pace of life inherent in the rural artist residency and recording studio he recently co-founded in Oxfordshire. Slowness appears to be everything, apart from when it comes to the prolificacy of his creative output, and his rise to become one of the most sought-after contemporary classical composers of an era. 

Richter grew up in Hamelin, West Germany, and moved to Bedford, UK in early childhood. His creative inclinations weren’t actively encouraged, but music seeped in: from the Victorian-style piano lessons he took from a young age to his parents’ Bach and Vivaldi vinyls, and the surprisingly fertile punk scene in Bedford. His first taste of the avant-garde arrived from an unlikely source: the milkman, who, upon hearing Richter practise the piano, began not only delivering milk bottles to the door but also experimental records. Richter was immersed in the early textures of Philip Glass and the collaged instrumental concoctions of John Cage. 

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07. Photo book explores the messy, magical mundanity of new motherhood

‘I didn’t have time to prepare for motherhood – not like that’s really possible,’ says Andi Galdi Vinko. ‘I was busy living, loving and building my career. So when the storm arrived I was quite shocked by my vulnerability and my incapacity.’

This opaque sense of shock and quotidian trauma felt to some degree by all new parents has taken shape in Galdi Vinko’s photography book, Sorry I Gave Birth I Disappeared But Now I’m Back, published by Trolley Books. In a visual diary of those early months, the Hungarian photographer juxtaposes the mundane with the momentous in a visual mash-up of everything from stitches to blood, milk and midnight Google searches.

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08. All eyes on Christina Quarles, the painter inventing a new figurative language

Christina Quarles keeps a folder filled with text documents on her computer desktop: titled ‘thots’, it contains musings on her artistic practice and life. Unpolished and not meant for other eyes, the texts aren’t fully formulated artist statements, but neither are they as personal as a diary. ‘I had a professor who talked about how we need to update drafts about our position in the world,’ the Chicago-born, Los Angeles-raised and -based artist explains. ‘It’s not something that you write once and never look at again; it’s an ongoing drafting process because the world around you changes.’ These thots might never be read by anyone else, but they help Quarles make sense of her life and work within the rest of the world, not unlike her process of creating – puns and all.

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09. ANOHNI addresses a world at war with itself in her Wallpaper* guest editor interview

Born in Chichester, in the UK, musician and visual artist ANOHNI relocated with her family to Amsterdam for a year when she was seven, and later moved to California when she was ten. On moving to New York to study experimental theatre at NYU, she became involved in the city’s performance scene, starting her career as founder of a nightclub collective called Blacklips Performance Cult. In 1995, ANOHNI began staging trans-surrealist theatre as The Johnsons. In 1998, she assembled a group of musicians and performed her first concert as ‘Antony and the Johnsons’ at The Kitchen in NYC. After a world tour, her second album, I Am a Bird Now, released in 2005, was both a commercial and critical success, earning ANOHNI that year’s Mercury Music Prize. 

In 2023, ANOHNI announced the launch of her fifth album under the name ANOHNI and the Johnsons, and she was also invited to be associate artist at the Holland Festival. Her lyrical programme included an orchestral performance of William Basinski’s contemplative masterpiece The Disintegration Loops, as well as the exhibition ‘She Who Saw Beautiful Things’, honouring ANOHNI’s former collaborator Julia Yasuda, and offering what she describes as ‘a vision of enlightened femininity and luxuriant androgyny persevering in memory despite existential threat’.

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10. Shirin Neshat on women’s rights, oppression and the Middle East

For the first time in a long time, Neshat has turned her lens to the Middle East and is looking at the subject of sexual assault and captivity in Iran. The powerful new works have her signature motifs – striking photography in black and white, combined with handwritten calligraphy in Farsi – but there is a directness that speaks to her earlier work. She is inspired by the Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran, and is tackling her subject matter head-on.

Neshat left Iran aged 17 and has lived in the United States since then. She began making art in earnest after visiting Iran in the early 1990s, and has since gained a reputation as an important activist voice as well as a renowned artist and filmmaker. She has directed three feature films, Women Without Men (2009), which was awarded the Silver Lion Award for Best Director at the 66th Venice International Film Festival; Looking For Oum Kulthum (2017); and Land of Dreams (2021).

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