First article in the series “COLOMBIA – THE PRODIGIOUS RENEWAL OF THE IMAGE.” The exhibition at Visionaria (via Marchetti, behind Palazzo del Duca) is open throughout July.
No images? Click here transmission.plantureux.it/t/d-e-sutkthl-duhrljnjy-x/
BIENNALE DI SENIGALLIA
COLOMBIA – “THE PRODIGIOUS RENEWAL OF THE IMAGE”
The exhibition at Visionaria (via Marchetti, behind Palazzo del Duca) is open throughout the month of July.
« As in many American territories colonized by Europe at the end of the fifteenth century, in Colombia the writing of history and the construction of a visual tradition have played a central role in shaping national culture. Faced with the erasure of a millennia-old past by the weapons, doctrines, and images imposed by Spanish colonization, Colombian photography—whose first experiments date to around 1840, and whose earliest known daguerreotype is from 1842—emerged from its beginnings, more than any other visual practice, as the emblem of a new present: a reflection of the promise of a young republic, enlightened, modern, and animated by ideals of progress, despite strong political tensions and persistent social inequalities.
Welcomed enthusiastically throughout the Americas, the invention of photography had a particular resonance in Colombia. From images of the tropics that fueled the European imagination, to the miraculous appearance of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá in the sixteenth century, and the singular fate of a young Afro-Colombian boxer from Palenque de San Basilio, Colombian photography has given life to powerful visual narratives, capable of transforming our view of the country’s history and identity. » (Julien Petit)
« During the twentieth century, as studio practices declined, photography was reborn in a context marked by the rise of the printed image—not merely as illustration, but as a form of personal expression—by the intensification of conflict between the two main political parties, and by the birth of a modern artistic practice. The representation of the Bogotazo uprising in 1948, the censorship imposed on images from the period of La Violencia, the urban and social transformations of Bogotá, and the symbolic images of the country’s often frustrated modernization, all brought the photographic—and more broadly the photosensitive—image back to the center of historical narrative, as an essential tool in building a collective, critical, or shared memory.
Yet, despite this importance, photography remained for a long time at the margins of collecting and institutional interest, treated as a discreet passerby in the history of art and images. Only since the 1980s have the first in-depth studies and collections, both public and private, begun to develop. »
Julien Petit, curator of the Colombian exhibition in conversation with André Guyaux
« The exhibition The Prodigious Renewal of the Image—whose title refers to the miraculous episode of the restoration of the image of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá—offers the original perspective of a private Italian collection on the history of photography in Colombia. More than forty years after Colombia’s official participation in the 1980 Venice Biennale—which was entirely dedicated to national photography—this exhibition highlights images that are often anonymous, old, and seemingly ordinary, yet which form the deep foundation of a complex visual culture, sometimes likened to magical realism. » (Julien Petit)
The Miracle of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá: The Story of Maria Ramos
Maria Ramos was a 16th century Spanish woman who, filled with hope, left her homeland and crossed the ocean to the New World. Her dream was to be reunited with her husband, who had left fifteen years earlier. But, to her sorrow, she discovered that he now had a new family and had become a respected figure in the colony.
Wounded in spirit, Maria withdrew to a small hermitage, devoting herself to prayer and contemplation.
One day, the Spanish governor entrusted her with a precious responsibility: to care for and venerate an image of the Virgin Mary, painted by a local artist who, unfortunately, had not had access to good-quality pigments.
Over time, the image began to fade and lose its vibrancy.
The elderly indigenous servant who lived with Maria was deeply saddened by this. Watching the colors disappear day after day, she began to pray fervently and aloud, invoking the grace of the Virgin.
It was then that the first miracle occurred: day by day, the painting began to shine again, starting on Christmas night, 1586. A mysterious, invisible hand seemed to revive each color with new life, as if the palette itself had been touched by the sky.
Amazed, the servant confided everything to her confessor. He immediately told her that this was surely a miracle and that she must report it directly to the bishop of Tunja. As she set out for the city, she was suddenly overcome by a strange amnesia—she forgot the reason for her journey. But then, through a second divine intervention, her memory returned. She remembered her mission and presented herself before the distinguished bishop, trembling with emotion and shyness, never having spoken to someone so important.
It was then that the third miracle took place: the woman found the right words to tell her story, overcoming fear and confusion. Thanks to her testimony, the image of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá became not only an object of veneration, but also a symbol of hope and protection for all who value ancient objects of faith and the tiny miracles that continue to live on in popular memory.
This account is drawn from the Historical narrative of the origin, manifestation, and miraculous self-renewal of the image of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, as kept in the New Kingdom of Granada under the care of the Dominican Order.
The author, Fray Pedro de Tobar y Buendía, in his 1735 edition (the first illustrated, following the original 1694 text), uses two timelines: the first, from 1560 to 1590, recounts the origin of this work, which renewed itself, along with some of the miracles attributed to it.
The story, as recounted in these early sources, is a reminder of how images—sometimes fragile, sometimes nearly lost—can become vessels for memory, faith, and the quiet persistence of hope.
“Maria Ramos… saw on the ground a dismantled frame, and on it the battered and torn canvas of the disfigured image of the Mother of God of the Rosary. She picked it up from the ground, dusted off the dirt, and, trying to recognize what image was painted there, she could not discern whose it was, so faded and lost were the features…” — Fray Pedro de Tobar y Buendía (1648–1713)
General Manuel Serviez, a French officer, and his second-in-command, Colonel Santander, gathered the survivors of Cachiri and marched toward Santa Fe, pursued by the royalist pacifier Latorre. Seeking to awaken patriotic fervor, Serviez turned to the Virgin of Chiquinquirá: he removed her image from the church, packed it in a crate, and placed it at the head of the troops, who now resembled an armed procession. Serviez proposed to the president of the United Provinces, José Fernández Madrid, that the army should retreat to the Eastern Plains. While Madrid prepared to flee with a guard to Popayán, Serviez passed through Santa Fe on his way to the Llanos, left the image on the heights of Ubatoque, and crossed the Cabuya de Cáqueza over the Río Negro on May 11, 1816.
General Manuel Serviez, a French officer, and his second-in-command, Colonel Santander, gathered the survivors of Cachiri and marched toward Santa Fe, pursued by the royalist pacifier Latorre. Seeking to awaken patriotic fervor, Serviez turned to the Virgin of Chiquinquirá: he removed her image from the church, packed it in a crate, and placed it at the head of the troops, who now resembled an armed procession. Serviez proposed to the president of the United Provinces, José Fernández Madrid, that the army should retreat to the Eastern Plains. While Madrid prepared to flee with a guard to Popayán, Serviez passed through Santa Fe on his way to the Llanos, left the image on the heights of Ubatoque, and crossed the Cabuya de Cáqueza over the Río Negro on May 11, 1816.
The image was reproduced by the earliest painters of the colony and was published as an engraving in 1735, becoming the first print ever made in New Granada.
Virgin de Chiquinquira, oil on canvas by Baltasar de Vargas Figueroa (1629-1667)
Today, the Virgin of Chiquinquirá is the most important pilgrimage site in the country—even popes have come to kneel before the original painting, which, once again, has lost all its colors.
By clicking on any of the images of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá, or on the present link [https://youtu.be/5b5DSiD7v5Q], you can access a short video we recorded inside the sanctuary of Chiquinquirá in 2022 (edited by Manuel Fierro).
If you want to contact Julien Petit, you can write him an email: [monsieurjulienpetit@gmail.com]
If you want to access to the French version of the complete catalogue of his exhibition, click on this link: [https://biennaledisenigallia.it/francais/]
Let’s conclude with a special card dedicated to the birth of mythological drawing and painting, created for the Misteri della Fotografia series !
MYT-1 – The potter’s daughter. Corinth or Sicyon – 6th century BC (story by Pliny, under the consulate of Titus Flavius Vespasianus and Titus Flavius Sabinus (77 AD)
A young Corinthian woman, saddened by the departure of her lover, decides to preserve his image. By the light of a lamp, she traces the outline of his face on the wall. Her father, a potter named Butades, fills the drawing with clay and fires the relief. According to Pliny the Elder (Naturalis Historia, book XXXV), this is the first portrait ever made.
Heliochromy published as a postcard, mixed media on a digital base: collage, engraving, gouache retouching, and manual interventions.
MYT-1 – La figlia del vasaio. Corinto o Sicione – VI secolo a.C. (racconto di Plinio, sotto il consolato di Tito Flavio Vespasiano e Tito Flavio Sabino (anno 77 d.C.)
Una giovane corinzia, addolorata per la partenza del suo amante, decide di trattenere la sua immagine. Alla luce di una lampada, traccia sul muro il contorno dell’ombra del suo volto. Suo padre, un vasaio di nome Butade, riempie il disegno con argilla e cuoce il rilievo. Secondo Plinio il Vecchio (Naturalis Historia, libro XXXV), è questo il primo ritratto mai realizzato.
Eliocromia pubblicata come cartolina, procedimento misto su base digitale: collage, incisione, ritocco a gouache e interventi manuali, e fa parte della prima serie I Misteri della Fotografia, dedicata ai miti ed ai precursori
Edizioni Atelier 41, via Fratelli Bandiera, Senigallia
La Fotografia è la più bella delle collezioni …
Senigallia, città della fotografia, ospitera nuovi spazi dedicato alla ricerca e promozione della fotografia.
Atelier 41 si trova 41 via fratelli Bandiera.
Senigallia diventerà la Città delle collezioni.
Any question : fotografia@atelier41.org
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ATELIER 41
Via Fratelli Bandiera 41
60019 Senigallia
Italy
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No images? Click here transmission.plantureux.it/t/d-e-sutkthl-duhrljnjy-x/
BIENNALE DI SENIGALLIA
COLOMBIA – “THE PRODIGIOUS RENEWAL OF THE IMAGE”
The exhibition at Visionaria (via Marchetti, behind Palazzo del Duca) is open throughout the month of July.
« As in many American territories colonized by Europe at the end of the fifteenth century, in Colombia the writing of history and the construction of a visual tradition have played a central role in shaping national culture. Faced with the erasure of a millennia-old past by the weapons, doctrines, and images imposed by Spanish colonization, Colombian photography—whose first experiments date to around 1840, and whose earliest known daguerreotype is from 1842—emerged from its beginnings, more than any other visual practice, as the emblem of a new present: a reflection of the promise of a young republic, enlightened, modern, and animated by ideals of progress, despite strong political tensions and persistent social inequalities.
Welcomed enthusiastically throughout the Americas, the invention of photography had a particular resonance in Colombia. From images of the tropics that fueled the European imagination, to the miraculous appearance of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá in the sixteenth century, and the singular fate of a young Afro-Colombian boxer from Palenque de San Basilio, Colombian photography has given life to powerful visual narratives, capable of transforming our view of the country’s history and identity. » (Julien Petit)
« During the twentieth century, as studio practices declined, photography was reborn in a context marked by the rise of the printed image—not merely as illustration, but as a form of personal expression—by the intensification of conflict between the two main political parties, and by the birth of a modern artistic practice. The representation of the Bogotazo uprising in 1948, the censorship imposed on images from the period of La Violencia, the urban and social transformations of Bogotá, and the symbolic images of the country’s often frustrated modernization, all brought the photographic—and more broadly the photosensitive—image back to the center of historical narrative, as an essential tool in building a collective, critical, or shared memory.
Yet, despite this importance, photography remained for a long time at the margins of collecting and institutional interest, treated as a discreet passerby in the history of art and images. Only since the 1980s have the first in-depth studies and collections, both public and private, begun to develop. »
Julien Petit, curator of the Colombian exhibition in conversation with André Guyaux
« The exhibition The Prodigious Renewal of the Image—whose title refers to the miraculous episode of the restoration of the image of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá—offers the original perspective of a private Italian collection on the history of photography in Colombia. More than forty years after Colombia’s official participation in the 1980 Venice Biennale—which was entirely dedicated to national photography—this exhibition highlights images that are often anonymous, old, and seemingly ordinary, yet which form the deep foundation of a complex visual culture, sometimes likened to magical realism. » (Julien Petit)
The Miracle of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá: The Story of Maria Ramos
Maria Ramos was a 16th century Spanish woman who, filled with hope, left her homeland and crossed the ocean to the New World. Her dream was to be reunited with her husband, who had left fifteen years earlier. But, to her sorrow, she discovered that he now had a new family and had become a respected figure in the colony.
Wounded in spirit, Maria withdrew to a small hermitage, devoting herself to prayer and contemplation.
One day, the Spanish governor entrusted her with a precious responsibility: to care for and venerate an image of the Virgin Mary, painted by a local artist who, unfortunately, had not had access to good-quality pigments.
Over time, the image began to fade and lose its vibrancy.
The elderly indigenous servant who lived with Maria was deeply saddened by this. Watching the colors disappear day after day, she began to pray fervently and aloud, invoking the grace of the Virgin.
It was then that the first miracle occurred: day by day, the painting began to shine again, starting on Christmas night, 1586. A mysterious, invisible hand seemed to revive each color with new life, as if the palette itself had been touched by the sky.
Amazed, the servant confided everything to her confessor. He immediately told her that this was surely a miracle and that she must report it directly to the bishop of Tunja. As she set out for the city, she was suddenly overcome by a strange amnesia—she forgot the reason for her journey. But then, through a second divine intervention, her memory returned. She remembered her mission and presented herself before the distinguished bishop, trembling with emotion and shyness, never having spoken to someone so important.
It was then that the third miracle took place: the woman found the right words to tell her story, overcoming fear and confusion. Thanks to her testimony, the image of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá became not only an object of veneration, but also a symbol of hope and protection for all who value ancient objects of faith and the tiny miracles that continue to live on in popular memory.
This account is drawn from the Historical narrative of the origin, manifestation, and miraculous self-renewal of the image of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, as kept in the New Kingdom of Granada under the care of the Dominican Order.
The author, Fray Pedro de Tobar y Buendía, in his 1735 edition (the first illustrated, following the original 1694 text), uses two timelines: the first, from 1560 to 1590, recounts the origin of this work, which renewed itself, along with some of the miracles attributed to it.
The story, as recounted in these early sources, is a reminder of how images—sometimes fragile, sometimes nearly lost—can become vessels for memory, faith, and the quiet persistence of hope.
“Maria Ramos… saw on the ground a dismantled frame, and on it the battered and torn canvas of the disfigured image of the Mother of God of the Rosary. She picked it up from the ground, dusted off the dirt, and, trying to recognize what image was painted there, she could not discern whose it was, so faded and lost were the features…” — Fray Pedro de Tobar y Buendía (1648–1713)
General Manuel Serviez, a French officer, and his second-in-command, Colonel Santander, gathered the survivors of Cachiri and marched toward Santa Fe, pursued by the royalist pacifier Latorre. Seeking to awaken patriotic fervor, Serviez turned to the Virgin of Chiquinquirá: he removed her image from the church, packed it in a crate, and placed it at the head of the troops, who now resembled an armed procession. Serviez proposed to the president of the United Provinces, José Fernández Madrid, that the army should retreat to the Eastern Plains. While Madrid prepared to flee with a guard to Popayán, Serviez passed through Santa Fe on his way to the Llanos, left the image on the heights of Ubatoque, and crossed the Cabuya de Cáqueza over the Río Negro on May 11, 1816.
General Manuel Serviez, a French officer, and his second-in-command, Colonel Santander, gathered the survivors of Cachiri and marched toward Santa Fe, pursued by the royalist pacifier Latorre. Seeking to awaken patriotic fervor, Serviez turned to the Virgin of Chiquinquirá: he removed her image from the church, packed it in a crate, and placed it at the head of the troops, who now resembled an armed procession. Serviez proposed to the president of the United Provinces, José Fernández Madrid, that the army should retreat to the Eastern Plains. While Madrid prepared to flee with a guard to Popayán, Serviez passed through Santa Fe on his way to the Llanos, left the image on the heights of Ubatoque, and crossed the Cabuya de Cáqueza over the Río Negro on May 11, 1816.
The image was reproduced by the earliest painters of the colony and was published as an engraving in 1735, becoming the first print ever made in New Granada.
Virgin de Chiquinquira, oil on canvas by Baltasar de Vargas Figueroa (1629-1667)
Today, the Virgin of Chiquinquirá is the most important pilgrimage site in the country—even popes have come to kneel before the original painting, which, once again, has lost all its colors.
By clicking on any of the images of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá, or on the present link [https://youtu.be/5b5DSiD7v5Q], you can access a short video we recorded inside the sanctuary of Chiquinquirá in 2022 (edited by Manuel Fierro).
If you want to contact Julien Petit, you can write him an email: [monsieurjulienpetit@gmail.com]
If you want to access to the French version of the complete catalogue of his exhibition, click on this link: [https://biennaledisenigallia.it/francais/]
Let’s conclude with a special card dedicated to the birth of mythological drawing and painting, created for the Misteri della Fotografia series !
MYT-1 – The potter’s daughter. Corinth or Sicyon – 6th century BC (story by Pliny, under the consulate of Titus Flavius Vespasianus and Titus Flavius Sabinus (77 AD)
A young Corinthian woman, saddened by the departure of her lover, decides to preserve his image. By the light of a lamp, she traces the outline of his face on the wall. Her father, a potter named Butades, fills the drawing with clay and fires the relief. According to Pliny the Elder (Naturalis Historia, book XXXV), this is the first portrait ever made.
Heliochromy published as a postcard, mixed media on a digital base: collage, engraving, gouache retouching, and manual interventions.
MYT-1 – La figlia del vasaio. Corinto o Sicione – VI secolo a.C. (racconto di Plinio, sotto il consolato di Tito Flavio Vespasiano e Tito Flavio Sabino (anno 77 d.C.)
Una giovane corinzia, addolorata per la partenza del suo amante, decide di trattenere la sua immagine. Alla luce di una lampada, traccia sul muro il contorno dell’ombra del suo volto. Suo padre, un vasaio di nome Butade, riempie il disegno con argilla e cuoce il rilievo. Secondo Plinio il Vecchio (Naturalis Historia, libro XXXV), è questo il primo ritratto mai realizzato.
Eliocromia pubblicata come cartolina, procedimento misto su base digitale: collage, incisione, ritocco a gouache e interventi manuali, e fa parte della prima serie I Misteri della Fotografia, dedicata ai miti ed ai precursori
Edizioni Atelier 41, via Fratelli Bandiera, Senigallia
La Fotografia è la più bella delle collezioni …
Senigallia, città della fotografia, ospitera nuovi spazi dedicato alla ricerca e promozione della fotografia.
Atelier 41 si trova 41 via fratelli Bandiera.
Senigallia diventerà la Città delle collezioni.
Any question : fotografia@atelier41.org
Share transmission.plantureux.it/t/d-fb-sutkthl-duhrljnjy-m/ Tweet transmission.plantureux.it/t/d-tw-sutkthl-duhrljnjy-c/ Share [https://transmission.plantureux.it/t/d-li-sutkthl-duhrljnjy-w/] Forward consigneditdisergeplantureux.forwardtomyfriend.com/d-duhrljnjy-3D431DD6-sutkthl-l-q
ATELIER 41
Via Fratelli Bandiera 41
60019 Senigallia
Italy
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