Marcel Giró and Palmira Puig in the exhibition «Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography» at Tate Modern in London
Tate Modern in London opens Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography today, 14 October, an international exhibition featuring works by Marcel Giró and Palmira Puig, two key figures in Brazilian modernist photography, whose works are part of the Tate collection.
The exhibition offers a reassessment of Pictorialism as a global photographic movement, tracing its development from the late nineteenth century to the 1960s. Bringing together more than 200 photographs by over 80 artists from different continents, the exhibition explores the evolution of photography as an artistic medium and its potential for experimentation with light, composition and darkroom processes.
The inclusion of Marcel Giró and Palmira Puig places Brazilian modernist photography within this international narrative. Both artists, associated with the Foto Cine Clube Bandeirante in São Paulo, developed a body of work characterised by formal experimentation, contrasts of light and a fresh perspective on everyday life.
Through this exhibition, Tate Modern broadens traditional perspectives on the history of photography, bringing into dialogue different generations and geographical contexts that contributed to its recognition as an artistic discipline.
Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography will be on view until 21 February 2027.
More information: Tate Modern – Light and Magic
