Elisa Medde Email & Phone Number

I am an art historian and visual arts professional, operating as artistic director, cultural manager, curator, editor, lecturer and writer. Over the years I collaborated with various cultural institutions, publishing houses and non-profit organisations as editor in chief, project and research co-ordinator, independent curator and art director. My academic background builds History of Art, Iconology and Visual Studies, with a research focus reflecting on the relations between image, communication and power structures - particularly within the context of contemporary photography. My classical study and specialisation in Iconology allowed me to build on and interdisciplinary approach to visual culture - one that sees intersections through times, themes and approaches. As a lecturer and educator I regularly take part in seminars and conferences around visual culture and the photographic image, on invitation of various institutions in Europe and United States (Red Hooks Lab, NYC; Westminster University, London; FotoDepartament, Saint Petersburg; Camera, Torino; MiCamera; Milano, Rencontres pour la Fotografie, Arles; Maison Européenne de la Photographie - MEP, Paris; Fotofilmic, Vancouver, CA; Canon Foundation; et al.) I am currently a lecturer at ECAL - École cantonale d'art de Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland), HSLU - Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and at Accademia delle Belle Arti di Brera (Milan, Italy). I regularly serve as nominator and juror for various prizes (Mack First Book Award; Luma Rencontres Dummy Book Award; Grand Prix du Livre - Vevey; Lens Culture Award; Prix Elysée; The Leica Oskar Barnack Award; MAST Foundation for Photography Grant; et al), while my writings appeared on FlashArt, PhotoEye, Time Magazine, Foam Magazine, Something We Africans Got, Vogue Italia / L'Uomo Vogue, YET Magazine, the Aperture PhotoBook Review et al. I regularly work with artists, supporting them in the development of their projects. Until June 2023 I have been Editor in Chief of Foam_ International Photography Magazine in Amsterdam, for which I curated 33 publications since 2011. Under my lead, Foam Magazine has been awarded a Lucie Award for Best Photography Magazine of the Year twice - in 2017 and in 2019. Between 2021 and 2024 I served as Board Member for Salwa Foundation in Amsterdam, a young and grass-roots foundation designing programs for artists with a migrant background, offering an entry point for emerging artists into the Dutch cultural scene. I am the recipient of the Royal Photographic Society 2023 Award for Photography Publishing.