Dates: November 16-19, 2023
Opening November 15, 6:30 p.m.
Location: BASE Milano, Via Bergognone, 34, 20144 Milano MI, Italy
Hours: November 16: 3 p.m. - 9 p.m.
November 17-19: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Admission is free.
For more information, visit www.vogue.com/photovogue/festival

The PhotoVogue Festival, the first conscious fashion photography festival that focuses on the common ground between ethics and aesthetics, returns for its eighth edition. From November 16 to 19, 2023, BASE Milano will host a series of exhibitions and a three-day symposium examining the profound impact of artificial intelligence (A.I.) on human existence and the creation of images, complemented by satellite events at the city's finest galleries.

Continuing its journey dedicated to shaping a more just and inclusive society through visual literacy, PhotoVogue invited artists from around the world to submit work that challenges the traditional notions of beauty and celebrates diversity through photographs and A.I.-generated images. The resulting exhibitions “What is beauty” and “What is beauty A.I” feature work by 53 artists, including the creative duo Togo Yeye, Chiron Dung, Luisa Dörr and Salome Gomis Trezise.

The thought-provoking exhibitions “Uncanny Atlas: Image in the age of A.I.” and ‘Eternal Loops’ further explore how AI is reshaping photography and video, reality, and perception, inviting viewers to confront uncharted territories within an evolving world, featuring works by Michael Christopher Brown, Ali Cha’aban, Laurie Simmons and Pierre Zandrowicz among others.

“Our intention is to address the ethical, aesthetic, and political implications raised by this revolutionary technology. Together, we will explore A.I.'s potential for reshaping our understanding of creativity, human existence, and the very essence of how we communicate and convey our visions to the world” – Alessia Glaviano, Head of Global PhotoVogue and Director of PhotoVogue Festival

THE SYMPOSIUM

The panels will take place on Nov 17-19 at BASE Milano, and will be made available on PhotoVogue platform.

Confirmed speakers include:
Refik Anadol | Giacomo Rizzolatti | Fred Ritchin | Michael Christopher Brown | Mutale Nkonde | Charles Traub | Charlie Engman | Carlijn Jacobs | Bryan Huynh | Ferdinando Verderi | Filippo Venturi | Margaret Zhang | Alessandra Sala | Mel McVeigh | Lydia Mendola | Paolo Benanti | Santiago Lyon | Paola Mieli | Florian Koenigsberger | Cyril Foiret | Millie Tran | Giuseppe De Bellis | Guido Noto La Diega | Paolo Bestagini | Nicki Lees | Zahra Rasool | Gea Politi | Francesco Bonami

What is Beauty?
Throughout its past Open Calls, PhotoVogue festival has celebrated the female gaze, searched for the next great fashion image makers, highlighted diversity behind and in front of the camera, explored masculinity, reframed history, and consistently challenged stereotypes, clichés, and homogeneous representations. Continuing its journey dedicated to shaping a more just and inclusive society through visual literacy, PhotoVogue invited artists from around the world to submit work that challenges the traditional notions of beauty.

What is Beauty/A.I.
Featuring 13 artists whose A.I.-generated image submissions earned widespread acclaim from the jury, this exhibition delves into the festival’s overarching theme, “What Makes Us Human? Image in the Age of A.I.” While distinct from traditional photography, these artworks highlight the profound intersection of technology and human creativity, inviting profound contemplation of the boundless possibilities of A.I. in reshaping the artistic landscape and its impact on human expression in the digital era.

Uncanny Atlas: Image in the Age of A.I.
This exhibition aims to be a principle of cartography of this new world. And it does so through an investigation of how AI is changing, along with image production, our idea of photography, and inevitably also that of reality. Above all, the exhibition is an invitation to confrontation, at the intersection of many possible readings of a still largely empty map, where around the small known world there are still large, obscure areas, yet to be explored.

Eternal Loops
In the hands of the thirteen artists featured in this video exhibition, we voyage even deeper into this paradigm. Their work conjures dreamlike, occasionally nightmarish tales that teeter on the precipice of recognition and innovation. These contemporary visual metaphors form a symbiotic relationship with the familiar imagery of our collective past. The resultant sensation of familiarity takes on a disconcerting quality, an intrinsic facet of the artistic gambit these creators play.

Spanish Women: A Contemporary Portrait of Strength and Beauty
This exhibition celebrates the remarkable results of PhotoVogue’s inaugural Open Call in Spain done in collaboration with PHotoESPAÑA, the country’s most prestigious photography festival. PhotoVogue and Vogue Spain called upon artists from around the globe to submit their works, defying conventional norms and presenting fresh visual narratives.

Condéfuture
The festival will featured selected works from CondéFuture students. CondéFuture, led by Condé Nast’s creative and editorial teams, is a new global initiative that aims to inspire and nurture future generations of multimedia creative talent. Launched in New York City in 2021 in partnership with the non-profit organization Educational Alliance, the program targets high school students from underrepresented communities providing a free, two-year enrichment and mentorship program, led by talent within the Condé Nast community.

Eye Mama
On the evening of the 16th, an engaging conversation awaits as part of the festival’s enriching program. Join us for a thought-provoking dialogue with Karni Arieli, a photographer and director, renowned for founding the transformative Eye Mama movement alongside several contributors of the Eye Mama book. This discussion aligns seamlessly with the festival’s theme “What Makes Us Human.” In addition to the conversation, a slideshow of images from the Eye Mama book will be on view in the exhibition space during the festival.