Members of the Todi Circle 2024 in the conference room, where discussions on the present state and future possibilities of photography take place.
From left to right: Kira Pollack, Todd Brandow, Julie Bonzon, Gerry Badger, Richard Grosbard, Karolina Ziebinska, Mathieu Bernard-Reymond, Joanna Kinowska, Michael Sonnenfeldt, Anca Poterasu, Sandino Scheidegger, Roger Ballen, Florence Bourgeois, Alejandra Aguado, Azu Nwagbogu and Mario Santoro (photo: William Ewing)
The Todi Circle
A Meeting of Minds
The Todi Circle is a unique and highly unusual meeting of minds, held once a year in a remote corner of Umbria. For a week in June, twelve highly-experienced photoworld experts come together at Todi Castle to converse freely on the present state and future possibilities of photography – the medium understood in its widest sense. The Todi Circle is a mix of curators, collectors, gallery and museum directors, educators, critics, historians, sponsors, directors of festivals, auction houses and important prizes – and of course, photographers. No formal papers are presented, and no reports are circulated publicly afterwards; emphasis is on spontaneity and free-wheeling thinking – heretical thoughts and contradictions are encouraged!
Guests are invited only once. However, guests of previous years remain de-facto members of The Todi Circle, and as such are kept abreast of developments and turned to for advice.
The Todi Circle is aided by Gli Amici [The Friends] of the Todi Circle, a local group of collectors and supporters who open their homes to our guests for lunches, dinners and evening events. A public lecture is organized each year in the nearby City of Todi.
The fundamental idea behind the Circle is simple and straightforward: almost never in the rapidly mutating world of photography are we given sufficient opportunity for unhurried reflection on where our medium is heading. And no other forum exists with such a wide mix of professionals in the field.
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Go to the bottom of this page to see what guests have to say about their experience at the Todi Circle!
The Todi Circle would not be possible without the generous support of the Carène Foundation and MUUS Collection.
Visit the website of The Todi Circle: Click here
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List of Guests
Todi Circle XI / June 3-8, 2024
Alejandra Aguado, Curator of Contemporary Art, Head of Collection, Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art, Buenos Aires
Gerry Badger, Curator, Author and Photographer, London
Roger Ballen, Photographer and Filmmaker, Founder Inside Out Centre for the Arts, Johannesburg
Mathieu Bernard-Reymond, Photographer and AI researcher, Lausanne
Julie Bonzon, Art Historian, Art Advisor and Independant Curator, Zurich
Florence Bourgeois, Art Historian, Director, Paris Photo, Paris
Joanna Kinowska, Curator and Head of Cultural Education, the Służewski Dom Kultury (Culture) Centre, Warsaw
Azu Nwagbogu, Curator, Founder of African Artists’ Foundation, Founder Lagos Photo Festival, Lagos
Kira Pollack, Independant Photo Editor, Producer and Creative Director, formerly at Vanity Fair, New York Times Magazine and Time Magazine, New York
Anca Poterasu, Founder and Director Anca Poterasu Gallery of Contemporary Art, Bucharest
Sandino Scheidegger, Curator of Contemporary Art, Co-founder Random Institute; Scientific Advisor at the Swiss Federal Chancery, Bern, Zurich
Michael Sonnenfeldt, Entrepreneur, Collector, Philanthropist, New York Karolina Ziebinska, Curator, Director of the Warsaw Museum, formerly Curator of Photography, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, Warsaw
Todi Circle X / June 5-10, 2023
Geoff Dyer, Author, Los Angeles
Dominique Haim, Collector and Patron
Virginia Heckert, Curator, J. P. Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Sarah Meister, Executive Director, Aperture Foundation, New York
Renée Mussai, Artistic Director Walther Collection, New Ulm & New York
Timothy Persons, Gallerist, Persons Projects, Berlin & Helsinki
Marie Robert, Chief Curator, Photography and Cinema, Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Michael Sonnenfeldt, Entrepreneur, Collector and Philanthropist, New York
Anastasia Samoylova, Visual Artist, Miami
David Solo, Collector, Brooklyn, New York
Anna Tellgren, Senior Curator & Head of Research, Moderna Museet, Stockholm
Sophy Thompson, Publisher & CEO, Thames & Hudson, London
Todi Circle IX / June 6-11, 2022
Todi Circle VIII / June 17-24, 2019
Martin Barnes, Senior Curator at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London
Genevieve Fussell, Senior Photo Editor at The New Yorker
Noam Gal, Horace and Grace Goldsmith Curator of Photography at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Anahita Ghabaian Etehadieh, Art historian specialising in Iranian photography, and Founder of the Silk Road Gallery, Tehran
Russet Lederman, Media Artist, Publisher, and Photobook Collector
Ingrid Masondo, Curator of New Media and Photography at the National Gallery of South Africa
Vanessa R. Schwartz, Professor of Art Film and History at the University of Southern California, and Director of the Visual Studies Research Institute
Rose Shoshana, Founder of ROSEGALLERY in Santa Monica, California
Pedro Slim, Collector and Photographer
Lorenzo Vitturi, Italian Photographer and Sculptor based in London.
Lars Willumeit, German Independent Curator
Todi Circle VII / June 18-24, 2018
Federica Angelucci, Gallerist, Stevenson / Johannesburg & Cape Town.
Bruno Ceschel, Founder and Director of Self Publish, Be Happy; Visiting Lecturer Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London, and École cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL)
Bruce Charlesworth, Multi-media Artist working with photography, film, video, performance and interactive installation
Jörg Colberg, Writer, Photographer and Educator; Writes for website CPhMag.com, FOAM Magazine, etc.; Teaches Hartford Art School/University of Hartford
Howard Greenberg, Gallerist, Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York
Maria Morris Hambourg, Founding Curator, Department of Photographs, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Freelance Curator and Author. Curator, Thomas Walther Project, Museum of Modern Art
Elena Navarro, Director Fotomexico; Director Canopia, Madrid/Mexico City. Director, Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City
Arthur Ollman, Founding Director, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego; Currently Guest Curator, Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography; Emeritus Professor of Art, San Diego State University
Urs Stahel, Former Founder, Director and Curator, Fotomuseum Winterthur; Writer, Curator, Lecturer and Consultant; Curator MAST, Bologna; Lecturer Art Academy, Zurich; Visiting Fellow University of the Arts, London
Penelope Umbrico, Visual Artist
Todi Circle VI / June 19-23, 2017
Susan Bright, Curator/Writer, Paris
Teju Cole, Critic and Author, New York Times Magazine, New York
Thomas Demand, Artist, Los Angeles
Richard M. Grosbard, Photography Collector, New York
Ekaterina Inozemsteva, Curator, GARAGE Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow
Emmanuelle Kouchner, Editor, Éditions Xavier Barral, Paris
Hans P. Kraus Jr., Photography Dealer, New York
Adam Lowe, Founder/Director, Factum Arte, Factum Foundation London, Madrid
Olivier Lugon, Professor, University of Lausanne, Department of Film Studies and Center of History of Culture: Literature, Arts and Society, Lausanne
Vera Lutter, Artist, New York
Anne McCauley, Professor, History of Photography and Modern Art, Princeton University
Robert Morat, Founder, Robert Morat Galerie, Berlin
Prashant Panjiar, Photographer, Delhi
Charles Traub, Chair MFA Photography, Video and Related Media program/Photographer, School of Visual Arts, New York
Richard B. Woodward, Writer, New York
Todi Circle V / June 19-25, 2016
Lucas Blalock, Artist, New York
Mimi Chun, Gallerist, Blindspot, Hong Kong
Mary DelMonico, Publisher, Prestel Books, New York
Howard Greenberg, Gallerist and Collector, Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York
Roger Hargreaves, Curator, Archive of Modern Conflict, London/Toronto
Nathalie Herschdorfer, Curator, Author, Director Museum of Fine Arts, Le Locle, Switzerland
Darius Himes, International Head of Photographs, Christies, New York
Max Kozloff, Critic and Author, New York
Sandra Phillips, Curator, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco
Philip Tinari, Writer, Critic, Curator specializing in Contemporary Chinese Art, Director Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing
Massimo Vitali, Photographer, Lucca
Michael Wilson, Film Producer, Collector and Patron, London
Thomas Zander, Dealer, Thomas Zander Gallery, Cologne
Todi Circle IV / June 21-26, 2015
Denise Bethel, Auction House, Sotheby’s 1990-2014, Chairman, Photographs, Americas, New York
David Campany, Author/Curator/Professor, University of Westminster, London
Joshua Chuang, Curator, Center for Creative Photography , Tucson
Philip Gefter, Author/Film Producer, New York
Carlos Gollonet, Curator, Mapfre Foundation, Madrid
Katy Grannan, Photographer/Filmmaker, San Francisco
Mishka Henner, Artist, Manchester
Marloes Krijnen, Director, FOAM, Amsterdam
Richard Misrach, Photographer, San Francisco
Priska Pasquer, Gallerist, PRISKA PASQUER, Cologne
Andrew Sanigar, Commissioning Editor, Photography, Thames & Hudson, London
Leo Xu, Gallerist, Leo Xu Projects , Shanghai
Francesco Zanot, Curator/Professor, Camera Centro Italiano per la Fotografia, Turin
Todi Circle III / June 15-21, 2014
Vince Aletti, Independent Curator and Critic, The New Yorker, New York
Wendy Ewald, Photographer and Educator, MacArthur Fellow, New York
Francesca Fabiani, Curator, MAXXI National Museum of 21st Century Art, Rome
Julien Frydman, Director, Paris Photo and Paris Photo L.A., Paris
Kathy Homans, Book Designer, New York
Pieter Hugo, Photographer, Johannesburg
Meg Maggio, Director Pekin Fine Arts Gallery, Beijing and Hong Kong
Chris McCall, Curator and Foundation Director, Pier 24/Pilara Foundation, San Francisco
Christopher Phillips, Curator, International Center of Photography, New York
Anne Tucker, Curator, MFAH, Houston
Todi Circle II / June 16-22, 2013
Olivo Barbieri, Photographer, Milan
David Buckland, Photographer and Founder, Cape Farewell Project, London
Peter Buse, Professor and Head of School of Performance and Screen Studies, Kingston University, London
Markus Hartmann, Editor, Hatje Cantz, Stuttgart
Marvin Heiferman, Independent Curator, New York
Francis Hodgson, Critic, The Financial Times, Professor of Photography, University of Brighton, Brighton/London
Lesley Martin, Director of Publishing, Aperture Foundation, New York
Simon Norfolk, Photographer, London
Jeffrey Peabody, Director, Matthew Marks Gallery, New York and Los Angeles
Kathy Ryan, Director of Photography, New York Times Magazine, New York
Britt Salvesen, Curator, LACMA, Los Angeles
Todi Circle I / June 17-23, 2012
Quentin Bajac, Curator MoMA, New York
Michael Benson, Director Prix Pictet and Syngenta Award, Photo London 2015, Candlestar, London
Tobia Bezzola, Director, Folkwang Museum, Essen
Susan Bloom, Consultant/Adviser, Arts and Corporate Sector, New York
Ed Burtynsky, Photographer and Founder/Director Toronto Imageworks, Toronto
Jeffrey Fraenkel, Gallerist, San Francisco
Philippe Garner, Head of Photography Worldwide, Christie’s, London
Vicky Goldberg, Critic and Author, Cambridge MA
Chris Pichler, Publisher, Nazraeli Press, Seattle
Joachim Schmidt, Photographer, Founder, ABC Books Cooperative, Berlin
Thomas Walther, Collector, Zurich
Chris Wiley, Critic and Artist, New York and Los Angeles
In addition, present as co-organizers for each year of the Todi Circle were:
William A. Ewing, Director of The Todi Circle; author, curator and museum director, Curator Fondation Carène, Lausanne, Switzerland
Mario Santoro, Visual artist, Todi Castle, Umbria
Richard M. Grosbard, Photography collector and advisor to the Todi Circle since 2017, New York
And
Todd Brandow, Director, Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Minneapolis, New York, Paris and Lausanne
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Tributes
I found it one of the most stimulating weeks of my life in photography. Weather around the morning seminar table or the various dining tables, the conversations were always open-minded, imaginative and great fun. Many genuine friendships were forged. I hope the next iteration lived up to your expectations. It exceeded mine (not that I really knew what to expect!)
David Campany, Curator
I am so appreciative of the time we had together with the Todi Circle and I’ve been lucky enough to follow up with several participants including Yasufumi [Nakamori] and Holly [Roussell]. And I’m sure more connections that were made will emerge as we go along.
Liz Armstrong, Curator
I think what you do is great, an opportunity for people in the industry to broader their way of thinking.
Bruno Ceschel, Publisher
What a week! Many inspiring things have been said and I am convinced that this week will have a meaningful impact on the way I deal with my archive in the coming years and decades.
Thomas Sauvin, Collector & Visual Artist
After a totally uneventful trip home, I woke up and found that I was really missing the stimulating conversations we had all shared. An extraordinary experience called Todi.
Peter McGill, Gallerist
It was truly lovely meeting everyone, and I look forward to connecting with each of you again soon.
Yasufumi Nakamori, Curator
I’ve thought a lot about Todi since leaving there. It was truly one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had in a long time. As I’ve tried to explain it to friends on my return, it was a bit like summer camp—probably not an analogy that Mario would like!—but one where the food and the housing were much better! Like camp, we were thrown together with a group of people we largely didn’t know but who all shared a similar passion. And we talked, openly and honestly, often with great insight—and it seemed to me without much or any of the usual snide critique that happens at conferences or other professional gatherings—about that shared passion.
Sarah Greenough, Curator
It truly was a remarkable experience, sharing views and perspectives in such a constraint-free setting. A very big thanks to all of you, and especially to the TODI team who makes this happen year after year.
Danaé Panchaud, Curator
I am missing this space, so many great conversations.
Rose Shoshana, Gallerist
I am sure the future events will be a huge success, as are all of your incredible Todi gatherings. Please keep me posted about future get togethers !
Mary Delmonico, Publisher
I have only the best memories of our week in Todi. If you should ever re-consider that no-return-rule, let me know!!
Robert Morat, Gallerist
I thought our discussions were spirited, thanks so much for inviting me to Todi, so many stimulating colleagues. I’m still thinking it out and hope to have further contact with them.
Max Kozloff, Critic
It was a GREAT event and thanks for inviting me. Happy to help Todi with anything, any time.
Sandy Phillips, Curator
You’re invited a great group of people — I was kind of shocked at how easily we all hit it off. It was the perfect mix of serious discussions and silly banter. I feel like I came away with many new friendships and the new perspective and respect for the difficult work so many are doing on behalf of the medium. It’s easy to become cloistered in your own universe, and the opportunity to have in-depth conversations and meet people in a meaningful way was like no other I have experienced.
Katy Grannan, Photographer & Filmmaker
I had a terrific week, not just because of the great food and wine, accommodation and scenery, but most of all for the tremendous company and conversations throughout. The opportunity to spend a week with people at the top of their fields was illuminating and helped demystify many aspects of the photography world. Aside from the professional value of a week like this, I left Todi with great affection for everyone in the group and I’m pretty sure it helped forge lasting friendships.
Mishka Henner, Visual Artist
Lots to reflect upon, but without doubt the unexpected highlight of the experience was the sheer fun of the group dynamic. Even the bus rides were crazy silly and fun and yes, maybe a bit wine-fuelled obnoxious. Whatever else I may come away with, and I think there will be plenty I simply have had not that much fun in years.
Richard Misrach, Photographer
Last week was nothing short of extraordinary. I’m still processing everything that happened, and I anticipate that I’ll be doing so for a long time to come.
Joshua Chuang, Curator
Just to tell you how ‘cold turkey’ it feels not to be with our amazing tiny circle group tonight! No great conversations, excursions and wonderful meals. What I want to say is, thank you so much for this amazing experience, your enthusiasm to bring this group together and your hospitality. Will be remembering this.
Marloes Krijinen, Museum Director
The Todi Circle…. What can I say? Amazing seems to be the first word that pops into my head, so I’ll settle for that. It was an extraordinary experience and a real privilege to be among a group of cultured, entertaining, intelligent, witty and forthright people I know there are a bunch of ideas some mirror glimmers right now the other is more fully formed that came out of conversations, typically on the bus or at lunch with a drink in her hands, all of which gives me something tangible to follow up on. But even without that, it was just marvellous to sit, listen to and talk with the group. I’ve come away feeling both refreshed, relaxed, and creatively energised.
Andrew Sanigar, Publisher
I’m not quite sure how to thank you for what turned out to be a truly substantive, nourishing, and actually enjoyable week. I could string a list of laudatory adjectives from Todi to Rome in praise of your concept of the tiny circle and your curatorial skills in choosing our group group of people who click so effortlessly on every level and convert so thoughtfully and respectively. Oh, and did I mention the fine accommodations and the quality of the food and the beautiful rolling hills and amusing social evenings? Ultimately I am so appreciative of your invitation to begin with and have a week so very well spent I left with ideas pin bowling around my brain and A number of wonderful new professional acquaintances.
Philip Gefter, Author, Critic
When I received the invitation, it seemed part fantasy part two amazing to be true… And now that I’ve been to the symposium and back I can say anything I could’ve imagined was surpassed many times over by the experience. I honestly don’t know how I can begin to thank you and the supporters of the Todi Circle. My friends and family have asked me, what is it what you expected, and my answer is always, it was beyond what I expected. Wow. It opened up my mind on ways that I did not anticipate. In my 35 year career in the auction business, I never experienced anything like the week I spent with a tiny circle. The world of ideas, with no obligations of strings attached is a world that I had pretty much forgotten existed. Our discussions, led by you, have set me off in all directions. The people in the setting remarkable. The week was one of the best and most enjoyable of my life. That is not an exaggeration.
Denise Bethel, Auctioneer
The intellectual part of the trip is nevertheless needless to say excellent. What a fully didn’t expect his help giving a generous everything was is. I came home feeling inspired and empowered.
Mimi Chun, Gallerist
Thanks for the extraordinarily generous invitation and thanks for three inspired days. I have no doubt all of us will be truly about this for a long thinking about this for a long time to come.
Jeffrey Fraenkel, Gallerist
Thanks again for inviting me to be part of the tiny circle. Not only did I make new friends and consider new ideas, I think I’ve gotten a new retirement goal – Umbria!
Britt Salvesen, Curator
I count the Todi experience as in my top so would be happy to come back…
Anne Tucker, Curator
Todi is still fresh in my mind. What a wonderful experience! Again, I cannot thank you enough for including me in 30. What you are doing is very special and will have a tremendous impact on the photography community.
Chris McCall, Curator
Great company, wonderful accommodation, incredible lunches and dinners and perfect weather I know very well how much advance planning it takes to make everything so effortlessly. So a tip of the hat to you and the Todi crew.
Chris Phillips, Curator
Your ears must be ringing constantly as I described my great experience to friends, family and colleagues. Thank you for including me in your marvellous Todi Circle and for your remarkable feat of organising and leading us. You’ve engineered valuable connections and knocked some ideas into our collective photo consciousness for which we must all be so grateful.
Katy Homans, Designer
I keep returning in my mind to the four delightful, unreal, and reaching days spent at Todi in such wonderful company. It was great experience, one that I will cherish. A huge thank you for conceiving the project and for being such a graceful and effective master of ceremonies.
Philippe Garner, Autioneer, Collector, Curator
It was a great pleasure and honour to be part of the Todi circle. Everything we did was fine and excellent. The places, the hospitality, the logistics, the food, all the friendships and guests there! Even the weather which you booked! Really really really nice, congratulations!
Urs Stahel, Curator
The Todi Circle has been a very intense and nourishing experience, both metaphorically and literally!
Francesca Fabiani, Curator
I think you did a superb job. This group has diverse interests and expectations and nothing was there not a single thorn, but everyone was a rose, sharp and likeable. The setting could not have been more awesome, the food more gloriously fattening, the friends lovely, the afternoon trips quite grand…
Vicky Goldberg, Critic
So sometimes in the middle of the night I jerk awake from a dream of a delicious midday Umbrian meal! Thanks for great memories.
Teju Cole, Critic, Photographer
Congratulations! I’ve what I’ve heard has been a very good Todi week. The reports from my pals there have been glowing. I heard good things about tidy this year from Katy Homans and Chris McCall. I continue to think about Todi during my travels and suggest everyone consider it a worthwhile endeavour.
Jeffrey Fraenkel, Gallerist
it was a great event and thanks for inviting me. Happy to help you with anything, any time.
Sandra Phillips, Curator
The whole of Todi was quite a revelation. Thank you for including me.
Martin Barnes, Curator
I have to thank you all for this great opportunity you gave me to attend Todi, and share all my interests and get all the feedback I needed to hear from all of you Fellows of Todi 2019. I’ll not say goodbye, but hasta la vista.
Pedro Slim, Collector
Such an amazing event where the environment, the people and the food and drink were all outstanding. Congrats! I enjoyed it thoroughly and only regretted having to leave early. Jeffrey said an interesting thing on the last night I was there – he said “usually when this many people get together there is at least one that gets on your nerves – couldn’t think of one in this group”. There you go!!
Ed Burtynsky, Photographer
It was, to fall back on a cliche, a once in a lifetime experience–and it gave me my first opportunity to spend some time in Rome. . You know that Ljubodrag Andric drove Chris McCall, Francesca, Meg, and I to Rome that day, where Francesca gave us a fast tour of MAXXI and then arranged to meet us again that night and give us another breakneck tour of various piazzas, churches, and fountains before going to a restaurant he liked a short walk from my hotel. So the Todi Circle continued for a while in Rome, and I’m sure there will be ripples out for some years to come. Thanks for making these connections possible.
Vince Aletti, Critic, Collector
Great time I/we had in Todi. I will never forget these days and all the people we were together with there! A great experience! I am currently carefully editing down my “numerous” pictures and will upload them to you on the weekend.
Markus Hartmann, Publisher