Fotografiska New York is hosting its final exhibition. Housed in a beautiful Flemish Renaissance Revival building in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, will be closing its doors after Vivian Maier: Unseen Work. The museum, which opened in 2019, cited limitations of the building’s layout as the reason for closure.
About Fotografiska
Founded in Stockholm in 2010, Fotografiska aims to be a comprehensive destination for photography enthusiasts. Their mission statement highlights their commitment to showcasing “world-class photography, eclectic programming, elevated dining, and surprising new perspectives”.
As I mentioned, the New York branch opened in 2019, and it’s part of a chain of photography museums with locations in Stockholm, Tallinn, Berlin, and Shanghai. In its short time in the Big Apple, Fotografiska has presented a variety of successful exhibitions, including the first US retrospective of David LaChapelle’s work and a celebration of 50 years of hip-hop photography. They have also introduced New York audiences to the work of artists like Daneiel Arsham and local photographers including Ethan James Green, Pixy Liao, Kia LaBeija, Adrienne Raquel, and Martin Schoeller.
A detail from Henri Cartier-Bresson’s exhibition in Stockholm’s Fotografiska, 2013
About Vivian Maier
I’m sure you’ve heard of the phenomenon named Vivian Maier. She was a nanny and a prolific street photographer whose immense talent remained unknown during her lifetime. Born in New York in 1926, Maier spent much of her life working as a nanny while capturing the world around her through her camera.
Maier’s archive was only discovered in 2007 after a storage locker she rented went up for auction due to unpaid fees. It contained over 100,000 negatives, films, and audio recordings, This remarkable collection offers a unique perspective on post-war America, capturing both the vibrancy and the struggles of everyday life. In 2013, a documentary titled Finding Vivian Maier was released, exploring her life story and the discovery of her vast photographic archive.
The Final Exhibition
Vivian Maier: Unseen Work is the first major retrospective of Maier’s work in the United States. The exhibition includes 200 vintage and modern prints spanning her career from the early 1950s to the mid-1980s. It features black-and-white and color photographs alongside Super 8 films and soundtracks, providing a comprehensive look at Maier’s artistic vision. You can visit the exhibition until September 29, 2024, alongside a final show by street photographer Bruce Gilden.
This is a bittersweet moment for photography fans in New York City. While Fotografiska’s closure is a loss, Vivian Maier: Unseen Work offers a rare opportunity to experience the work of this hidden master.
[via PetaPixel, Image credits: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons]
