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Great autumn exhibition: Martin Parr and the world of sport protagonists at CAMERA

27-10-2021 • EVENTS

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Tennis as a representation of society and a snapshot of the times. On the occasion of the first Turin edition of the Nitto ATP Finals, Lavazza presents, in collaboration with CAMERA – Italian Centre for Photography, an exhibition which combines photography and sport: "Martin Parr. We Love Sports", a public display by the great British photographer, which brings together a wide selection of images dedicated to sporting events.

 

As an expression of tradition, all major sporting competitions have always been of interest to the Magnum Agency photographer, but the discipline to which he has devoted the most attention is undoubtedly tennis. Thanks to his privileged access on and off the court - thanks also to his collaboration with Lavazza - since 2014 Parr has focused his lens on the Grand Slam tournaments, the competitions held every year in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York, which have become icons of global sport.

 

The 40 photographs that compose this work tell the story of the dynamics that animate the stands and the courts, fully synthesizing the various aspects of Parr's social research. "Martin uses the camera to portray the everyday life of the people who walk the streets parallel to the great events and personalities," Francesca Lavazza points out. "His ironic and personal gaze, his uncompromising but positive realism, tie in well with the idea of collaboration that Lavazza Group wants to pursue with the world of tennis".

The exhibition, by Walter Guadagnini and Monica Poggi, recalls the career of the British photographer through his interpretation of the great competitions he witnessed. The author's unmistakable eye for everyday life has made his work unique on the global photographic scene. 

Starting with black and white film, Parr made a name for himself in the 1980s with his use of saturated colors to capture the customs and habits of society. The themes of consumerism, identity and lifestyles often return in his work, through shots dominated by an irony that swings between comedy and tragedy. Images that embrace the most varied cultural expressions - high and low, frivolous, and committed - to recount reality with the sincere style of the social documentary film director.

 

 

 

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