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

This exhibition explores 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.

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 figures within the city’s cultural life.

Beyond their commercial success, photography enabled both sisters to articulate their identities as modern, emancipated women. Their collaboration situated their work within broader conversations about fashion, performance and female self-representation in the interwar period.

A decisive moment came in 1932 with the National Exhibition of Futurist Photography in Trieste, where Wanda presented a series of strikingly experimental works. Her use of superimposition – most notably in the iconic self portrait I + Cat – reflected a bold engagement with Futurist ideas. Set alongside the studio’s wider output, such works highlight the dynamic interplay between experimentation and professional practice that characterised the sisters’ careers.

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, as well as tracing the wider legacy of the Wulz family, whose photographic practice spanned generations. The exhibition also includes a series of photographs taken during the Second World War, documenting an important moment in the history of Trieste.

Curated by Federica Muzzarelli, and organised in collaboration with the Fondazione Alinari per la Fotografia and with the support of Calliope Arts Foundation, the exhibition is accompanied by a programme of talks and workshops, as well as a fully illustrated publication.

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