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Magnum America at Bard Fortress: a photographic journey into the history and contradictions of the U.S.

by Redazione , published on 27/11/2025
Categories: Exhibitions / Disclaimer
From December 8, 2025 to March 8, 2026 Fortress of Bard hosts Magnum America, an exhibition based on the archives of Magnum Photos. The exhibition documents U.S. people and events from the 1940s to the present, examining the past, present and future prospects of the United States.

From December 8 until March 8, 2026, the rooms of the Forte di Bard wineries in Bard (in the Aosta Valley), will host Magnum America, an exhibition that offers a historical and visual survey of the United States of America through the lens of photographers from the Magnum Photos agency. Curated by Andrea Holzherr and divided into 10-year chapters spanning from the 1940s to the present day, the exhibition aims to answer a simple but complex question: what is America? The initiative, sponsored by Fortress of Bard and Magnum Photos, is based on the extensive publication Magnum America, published by Thames & Hudson in 2024, and refers back to a long journey of research and documentation on the history, customs and contradictions of U.S. society.

Founded in 1947 by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and David Seymour, Magnum Photos was immediately intertwined with American history, observing its ideals, transformations and social tensions. For early European photographers, America represented both a new frontier and a testing ground for photographic storytelling. Capa’s images captured the Hollywood glamour and optimism of postwar life, while Cartier-Bresson analyzed the country’s daily rituals with a detached, anthropological gaze. Over time, the participation of American photographers, including Eve Arnold, Elliott Erwitt and Bruce Davidson, enriched the agency’s internal perspectives, documenting the civil rights movement, protests against the Vietnam War, intimate portraits of cities and communities, cultural events and sporting events. The photographs in the exhibition cover a broad historical spectrum: from V-day to the March on Washington, from Woodstock to 9/11, from presidential campaigns to natural disasters, offering a complex picture that includes both celebratory moments and critical episodes in American society.

The structure of the exhibition allows for the comparison of ordinary and extraordinary people and events, composing a mosaic that reflects the contradictions and challenges of the United States. The exhibition raises questions about what America represents today and what its future might be, while maintaining an objective narrative based on the agency’s photographic records. Spanning decades, the exhibition allows visitors to grasp the continuity and transformation of social, cultural and political themes, highlighting the evolution of public perceptions and internal dynamics within the country. The exhibition catalog, designed in tabloid format, accompanies the visit and allows visitors to delve into individual photographs and the contexts in which they were taken. The exhibition opening is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 7, at 3:30 p.m.

Thomas Hoepker, Young people relax during their lunch break along the East River while a huge plume of smoke rises from Lower Manhattan after the attack on the World Trade Center, New York City, September 11, 2001 - Young people relax during their lunch break along the East River while a huge plume of smoke rises from Lower Manhattan after the attack on the World Trade Center (September 11, 2001; New York City) © Thomas Hoepker/Magnum Photos
Thomas Hoepker, Young people relax during their lunch break along the East River while a huge plume of smoke rises from Lower Manhattan after the attack on the World Trade Center, New York City, September 11, 2001 - Young people relax during their lunch break along the East River while a huge plume of smoke rises from Lower Manhattan after the attack on the World Trade Center (Sept. 11, 2001; New York City) © Thomas Hoepker/Magnum Photos

Practical information

Rates

Full: 15.00 euros

Concessions (19-25 years old, over 65): 12.00 euros

Hours

Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m./6 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and holidays 10 a.m./7 p.m.; Monday closed

From December 26 to January 6 open daily

Magnum America at Bard Fortress: a photographic journey into the history and contradictions of the U.S.
Magnum America at Bard Fortress: a photographic journey into the history and contradictions of the U.S.


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