The MAST Collection - A Visual Alphabet of Industry, Work and Technology

In the early noughties the Fondazione MAST created a space dedicated to industrial and work-related photography, acquiring images from auction houses, private collectors, art galleries, photographers and artists.

For the first time the Fondazione MAST presents an extraordinary selection of over 500 images drawn from its collection of photographs, albums and videos. Occupying all the exhibition areas in the MAST building, the iconic images by world-famous artists, less well-known or anonymous photographers and finalists of the MAST Photography Grant offer visual testimony to the world of work. Such is the complexity of the exhibition that it has been structured into 53 chapters devoted to different concepts illustrated by the images on display. The whole topic requires a list of terms that, given the vast range of professions, themes, functions and values relating to the world of work, is never exhaustive.

An alphabet has been created that runs across the walls of the three exhibition spaces and goes from A “Abandoned” to W “Waste”, “Water” and “Wealth” (words with Z are rare in English), identifying the points and areas of interests that convey the true meaning of each image. The visual lexicon evokes connections and interactions stimulating wider considerations. Along the exhibition the themes addressed by the photographs displayed are in black, while those intended for contextual critical reflection are in normal font.