Photo gallery SpazioFoto Credito Artigiano is hosting an exhibition of photographs by Austrian artist Manfred Willman. Exhibition opening will be on Saturday, March 8, 2003 at the gallery, in Florence.
Das Land presents a collection of photographs that were taken from 1981 to 1993 to portray rural landscapes in western Steierland capturing moments from the villagers' social and private life.
Looking at the countryside as an uncontaminated and healthy place reflects the conservative ideology of Austrian far Right. In particular, the traditional Steierland iconography with snowy landscapes, folk traditions and local customs focusing on the beauty of this region, on the spontaneous life of its inhabitants has played a central role in spreading the nationalist ideas against modernization and any sort of intercultural relationship. Willman rejects such stereotypes
The exhibition catalogue cover portrays a dead bird floating in a greenish liquid. This photograph not only conveys the idea of death but makes us even think of the presence of toxic substances.
Willmann's photography is sometimes naturalistically cruel, as it captures distressing details, such as bloodstained snow, an animal killed for its skin, dirty dishes that pile up after having dinner in front of a small TV set, a butterfly alighting on the grass, bloomy branches, sunflower seeds or an ox carcass in the slaughterhouse

Formally, Willmann uses a flashlight that throws additional light upon phenomena, which he represents in richness of details. On display at SpazioFoto Credito Artigiano are 34 colour photographs (size: 70x70 cm).

The author is attending the exhibition opening

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES FOR MANFRED WILLMAN
Photographer Manfred Willman was born 1952 in Graz, Austria, where he currently lives. Since the early 1970s, Manfred Willman has been working as freelance artist, organiser of artistic events, editor and publisher. From 1974 to 1975, he worked as Director with Fotogalerie im Schillerhof, Graz. Since 1975 he has been organising the Symposiums on Photography (with the cooperation of Christine Frisinghelli) held at Graz Forum Stadtpark. He has also been taking care of the exhibition programme dedicated to the contemporary international photography.
In 1980 he founded international magazine CAMERA AUSTRIA and became publisher since.
Photographs by Manfred Willman have been on display at several individual and group exhibitions held at prestigious international venues, among which: Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Vienna Secession and Fotohof Gallery, Essen Folkwang Museum, Salzburg Rupertinum, New York Museum of Modern Art, Paris Centre National de la Photographie, Antwerpen Museum voor Photografie, Bologna Galleria d'Arte Moderna.
Willman received the Contemporary Photography Award - the prize given by the Ministry for Culture and Education - in 1982 and 1993. He was also given the Rupertinum Photography Award in 1991.