PhotoSoul invites a cycle of great photographers from history, a new program by the UA City Headquarters in Alicante, created under the umbrella of PhotoAlicante. It will begin next Thursday and will feature recordings and talks aimed at celebrating photographic achievement. Photographer and writer Pepe Calvo oversees each session, with the program presented by SEU director Jorge Olcina and UA Culture technician Maria Marco.
Pepe Calvo has a long history in exhibitions and publishing dating back to 1975. He has organized and contributed to exhibitions in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and other Spanish cities. His work has entered important museum collections such as IVAM, the Charleroi Museum of Photography in Belgium, the Jenkins and Romero collection in New York, MACA in Alicante, and the University of Colorado in the United States, among others.
In response to the continuing thread of contemporary arts and information, the cycle will feature biweekly discussions focusing on two legendary photographers, a classical mentor, and two Spanish women writers whose work is celebrated worldwide. Four of these individuals will be examined through the lens of their own photographic practices, offering a balanced view of influence and achievement.
Loop
The loop opens with Henri Cartier-Bresson, who is described as an eye of the century. The idea of taking a photograph is described as holding one’s breath while all faculties converge to capture a moment of truth that is slipping away. The image becomes a source of physical and intellectual joy, created through the meticulous organization of forms perceived visually. It is a process that aligns the head, eyes, and heart in a single line of sight, an approach some have called a lifestyle, as Cartier-Bresson himself explained.
A caption notes the significance of Cartier-Bresson, one more reminder that photography can distill experience into a lasting, meaningful view of reality.
On the 23rd, Chema Madoz will take the lead with his itemized still lifes, described as clean and precise images that function with the reliability of clockwork. The look is cool, with clear highlights, reminiscent of a notary transforming a poem into a public document.
The program will discuss Nan Goldin at a conference on May 10, under the theme when the photograph must feel real. The artist has stated that she does not photograph moments in her head; she lives them, and they become images. She has reflected that photographing enough has the power to connect people, and that her photography reveals how she has seen the world.
On May 24, Sophie Calle will be the focus during a related conference, exploring the intimate areas of a woman. Calle has explained that photographs outside of a project or ritual are not part of her territory, and that she tends to avoid casual portraits or baggy images of friends. She uses the camera to express an opinion, and only then does she recognize the value of the resulting image, even if its quality is debated.
The series aims to provide a cinematic, reflective journey through the work of these influential photographers and writers, offering audiences opportunities to engage with their ideas, processes, and legacies in a concise, thoughtfully curated context. All reflections are intended to be anchored in the real-world impact of these artists and the enduring power of visual storytelling, with attributions where appropriate.