Wanda and Marion Wulz: Avant-garde Photography in 20th-Century Italy

This September, the Estorick Collection presents a major exhibition exploring the pioneering work of sisters Wanda Wulz (1903–1984) and Marion Wulz (1905–1993), key figures in the development of avant-garde photography in 20th-century Italy.

Organised in collaboration with the Fondazione Alinari per la Fotografia and with the support of Calliope Arts Foundation, the show also traces the wider legacy of the Wulz family, whose photographic practice spanned generations.

In 1928, Wanda and Marion inherited the photography studio founded by their grandfather, Giuseppe Wulz, and later run by their father, Carlo. Having been immersed in photography from an early age, the sisters transformed the studio into a vibrant centre of artistic and commercial production in their native Trieste. They worked with a diverse clientele that included artists, actors, dancers, athletes, and the fashion designer Anita Pittoni, establishing themselves as leading photographers within the city’s cultural life. The exhibition also includes a series of significant photographs taken during the Second World War, documenting an important moment in the history of Trieste.

Beyond their commercial success, photography served as a means through which both sisters articulated identities as modern, emancipated women. Their collaboration situated their work within broader conversations around fashion, performance, and female self-representation in the interwar period.

A decisive moment came in 1932 with the Mostra Nazionale di Fotografia Futurista (National Exhibition of Futurist Photography) in Trieste, where Wanda Wulz, following her encounter with Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, presented a series of strikingly experimental works. Her use of superimposition, most notably in the iconic self-portrait I + Cat, marked a bold engagement with Futurist ideas. Set alongside the studio’s wider output, these works highlight the dynamic interplay between experimentation and professional practice that characterised the sisters’ careers.

Curated by Federica Muzzarelli, the exhibition brings together studio portraits, commercial commissions, and avant-garde experiments, and reveals the central role the Wulz sisters played in shaping modern photographic culture in Italy.

Images:
Marion Wulz, Alba Wiegele, 1940s, gelatin silver print, Florence, Archivi Alinari-Archivio Studio Wulz
Wanda Wulz, I + Cat, 1932, gelatin silver print (reprint 1982), Florence, Archivi Alinari-Collezione Zannier