Jeff Wall | Living, Working, Surviving

The MAST Foundation in Bologna hosts the exhibition Living, Working, Surviving by the renowned Canadian photographer Jeff Wall (Vancouver, 1946), curated by Urs Stahel. The exhibition is part of the 7th edition of Foto/Industria, the Biennale of Industrial and Work Photography, offering a comprehensive overview of the works that have defined the career of one of the most important figures in contemporary photography.

The show features twenty-eight large-format works by Wall, including lightboxes and color and black-and-white prints, created between 1980 and 2021 and drawn from private collections and international museums. The images focus on the broad spectrum of humanity, everyday life, and the simple gestures of people at work, moving, or performing ordinary activities. Seemingly candid snapshots of reality, Wall’s photographs are in fact carefully constructed, complex scenes, where events that never happened and ambiguous compositions invite viewers to immerse themselves, reflect, and search for hidden meanings.

Wall’s images reflect the aspirations, contradictions, and dynamics of Western society, closely observing social interactions and the living conditions of both the middle class and marginalized individuals. Through his work, Jeff Wall continues to explore the relationship between reality and fiction, documentary and artistic composition, making his photography a benchmark in international contemporary art.

For more information: www.mast.org/jeff-wall-living-working-surviving

Cover: Jeff Wall, Dressing Poultry, 2007, ©Jeff Wall