Curatorial statement
Curated by Zoe Cinel for the Rochester Art Center in 2022.
The Rochester Art Center in partnership with the Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis/St. Paul (ICC) presents a solo exhibition of photographs and interviews created by Italian artist Melissa Ianniello. Produced over the last four years, and starting from the artist’s own journey as a lesbian in Italy, the ongoing series Wish it Was a Coming Out, investigates the taboo of being older and gay in Italy, a country with a history and a culture deeply rooted in religious and traditional beliefs.
In this exhibition, the stories of gay men and lesbian women between sixty and ninety years old unfold through sixteen intimate portraits and six large scale photographs of the interviewees' homes. To accompany, excerpts from the interviews conducted by the artist, and translated for an English-speaking audience, bring to light the stories of a underpresented community whose complex and relatable narratives have been systematically erased from the mainstream media. These include William and Vittorio, a couple of 50 years who is legally married in a “civil union”, a lawful bind that guarantees same-sex couples only some of the rights of a heterosexual marriage; Pina Capizzo, 66 years old, who grew up with a violent and traditional family that forced into marrying a man for twenty two years; or Edda Billi, 89 years old, a poet and an activist with the separatist feminist and lesbian movement which believes in radical liberation of women through separation from men.
Through the lens of tenderness and care, Melissa Ianniello: Wish it Was a Coming Out addresses themes that are universally relevant: from self-determination to gay/lesbian love, from the representation of affection in advanced age to the honest portrayal of grief, loneliness and death. By bringing these stories to light, Ianniello encourages us to look with compassion at our own humanity and to celebrate love in its purest form.
After receiving several awards in Italy and Europe, including the first edition of Best Portfolio Prize at the Biennale della Fotografia Femminile in Mantova, Italy, and the John White Keep In Flight Award at the XXXIII Eddie Adams Workshop, the series Wish it Was a Coming Out is now exhibited for the first time in North America. To complete the exhibition, an original essay by art historian Giulia Angeli (b. 1992, Florence, Italy) contextualizes the relevance of this groundbreaking work and elaborates on historical and cultural specificities of the gay and lesbian experience in Italy.
About the artist
Melissa Ianniello (Naples, 1991) is an Italian documentary photographer based in Bologna, Italy, whose artistic research focuses on themes related to gender, sexuality, and identity. After completing her undergraduate studies in Philosophy at Alma Mater Studiorum–Università di Bologna (Italy), she studied documentary photography at Spazio Labo’ in Bologna. Through an exchange program she attended the “Photo Workshop New York”, in Brooklyn and visited the US for the first time. In 2020 she was selected to participate in the XXXIII Virtual Eddie Adams Workshop, a merit-based four-day photojournalism seminar in upstate New York. Her photographs have been exhibited at SI FEST Savignano Immagini Festival, Helsinki Photo Festival, Photoville Fence and PHOTO IS:RAEL and they have been published by internationally renowned publications and platforms such as The Guardian, Spiegel Wissen, Internazionale, L-Mag, Are We Europe, L'Oeil de la Photographie, Medfeminiswiya and Q Code Magazine. Ianniello is also the recipient of several awards including the first edition of the Biennale della Fotografia Femminile and the John White Keep In Flight Award. She was a finalist for the Pesaresi Prize (2018) and, above all, for the W. Eugene Smith Grant (2020).
Documentation shots by Kali Morrison for the Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN (USA)
Virtual Artist Talk
Artist: Melissa Ianniello
Moderators: Zoe Cinel and Giulia Angeli.
St. Anthony Main Theater, Minneapolis, MN
In winter 2023, the exhibition traveled to a second location in Minneapolis, MN (USA) to be showcased during the Italian Film Festival organized by the Italian Cultural Center and the Italian Culture Institute of Chicago.
Documentation by Zoe Cinel
Partners:
Founded in 2006, the Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis /St. Paul (ICC) is an independent, non-political, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization open to anyone interested in the unique phenomena of Italian culture. We offer a comprehensive approach to Italian language and culture and reject stereotypes and divisive rhetoric. https://www.theitalianculturalcenter.org
The Rochester Art Center offers the opportunity for all people to understand and value the arts through innovative experiences with contemporary art. Through world-class exhibitions and programs, we present a welcoming, integrated, and diverse experience that encourages questioning, creativity, and critical thinking. These exhibitions and programs are designed to reflect the dynamic relationship between art and society. They educate, challenge, and connect individuals to our world in compelling new ways. We are committed to being a cultural center in our community and to enhancing our region as a destination for creativity and innovation. We provide value through engagement with broad communities, strong collaborations with other organizations, and a history of excellence. https://www.rochesterartcenter.org/about-us
