Curated by Francesca Seravalle
For the autumn 2026 season, marking the Bicentenary of Photography, the MBAL is delighted to present the exhibition The First Photos. Until Proven Otherwise. This project, led by curator and artist Francesca Seravalle, is centred on the study of the earliest photographs. From this perspective, each ‘first photograph’ acts as the tip of an iceberg, an intriguing story that seeps into the mind, prompting deep reflection on the medium.
Far from being merely an archiving criterion, the concept of the ‘first photograph’ represents a performative approach to the origins of photography. The aim is to recapture the authentic aura of that primordial moment in a society where the single image is under threat from the overabundance of photographic output.
As it captures an inaugural experience, every ‘first’ possesses an epiphanic quality and becomes a milestone in the cultural revolution. This project challenges the fixed nature of traditional historiography. The history of photography evolves not only into the future, but also into the past: through a process of archaeological excavation, new ‘first’ photographs are constantly being discovered. The exhibition thus explores a definition of photography as fluid, both in terms of its technological nature and its social impact. The history of photography is, above all, a social and human history. If it were not used on a daily basis as a primary medium, it would be relegated to a laboratory, just like a microscope. This is why the narrative is explored through visual rather than chronological themes (the family, nature, the fathers of photography, social circles), as human history is made up of life cycles.
By placing masters and anonymous technicians, iconic images and laboratory tests on an equal footing, Francesca Seravalle demonstrates that photography is a record that preserves the hic et nunc of its society. She constructs theories like houses of cards to reveal the unexpected. She questions the inventors of the Web, Photoshop and copy-and-paste to find the earliest photographs, until proven otherwise. Sometimes, she hopes to be proven wrong: it is only through error that research progresses.
The project aims to spark the public’s curiosity and sense of wonder about the origins of photography through a thematic, interactive exhibition enriched by a contemporary research approach.
Visitors will be invited to explore the ‘firsts’ of photography: through various subjects presented as small ‘paper totems’, viewed through the lens of Eros or the early days of erotic photography, by highlighting pioneering works, and by linking the history of photography with social history through portraits. This exploration places a fundamental emphasis on the search for evidence attesting to the authenticity and origins of the earliest photographs.
