“MOMENTS OF HUMANITY”

This collective exhibition is inspired by a quote from Robert Frank,
one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century,
explores human representation that transcends the visual mere,
becoming a vehicle for emotional and narrative expression.

“There is one thing the photography must contain, the humanity of the moment. This kind of photography is realism. But realism is not enough – there has to be vision, and the two together can make a good photograph."
- Robert Frank”

With works from the novobanco Photography Collection, the exhibition Moments of Humanity explores human representation through portraiture. It goes beyond mere visual documentation to become a vehicle for emotional and narrative expression, offering a distinct perspective on what it means to be human.

The works on display reflect not only the individuality of each subject, but also the interconnections that bind us as a society and the complexity of the human condition, while also celebrating the beauty found in difference. In this exhibition, Moments of Humanity, fifteen works have been selected from the novobanco Photography Collection, by nine internationally renowned artists: Robert Frank; Wolfgang Tillmans; Hans-Peter Feldmann; Philip-Lorca diCorcia; Hellen Van Meene; Martha Wilson; Pierre Gonnord; Kimsooja and Barbara Kruger.

About the artists and their works:
- Four works by Robert Frank, a pivotal figure in the history of photography, who documented the many layers of American society, rejecting established conventions and focusing on ordinary people.

- Wolfgang Tillmans presents a large-scale installation composed of 17 photographs that capture human experience, with a focus on identity and memory.

- Hans-Peter Feldmann appropriates images from everyday life and carries out artistic interventions that reveal the essence of those same images.

- Philip-Lorca diCorcia, the American photographer, draws us in with a blend of the documentary and theatrical, fact and fiction.

- The two works by Hellen van Meene confront us with the unsettling realism of lingering girlhood and emerging adulthood.

- Martha Wilson presents a self-portrait inscribed around the frame of the image, questioning social representations.

- Kimsooja’s contemplative light box photograph explores the human condition through self-awareness and awareness of others, in pursuit of a comprehensive wholeness.

- Barbara Kruger powerfully reveals fundamental human emotions, reflecting on how these emotions and concepts are portrayed and manipulated by the media and society.

- And a tribute to Pierre Gonnord — we join in the homage to the artist during 2025 ARCO Madrid international art fair , with the exhibition of four works from the novobanco Photography Collection, two of which — Iris and Júlia — establish a connection between the artist and our country, through the project Gaia, Mother Earth, photographed in Portugal. “They are like kings and queens in exile.”

Curatorship_ Alexandra Conde
Head of novobanco Photography Collection