1930-40년대 뉴욕을 흑백으로 담은 사진가로 널리 알려진 위지(Weegee, 1899-1968)의 특별전 'Weegee: Society of the Spectacle'이 1월 23일부터 5월 5일까지 로어이스트사이드의 국제사진센터(International Center of Photography, 84 Ludlow St.)에서 열린다. 본명 아서 펠리그(Arthur Fellig), 위지는 우크라이나의 졸로치프에서 태어나 1909년 가족과 증기선을 타고 뉴욕으로 이주했다. 브루클린에 정착해 조랑말 타고 아이들을 촬영하는 거리 사진작가, 상업 사진작가의 조수, 암실 기술자(United Press International Photos)로 일하다가 프리랜서 사진작가를 선언했다. 위지는 경찰과 경쟁하며 범죄 현장에 먼저 도착해 언론 시관에 사진을 판매했다. 이후 유럽을 여행하다가 런던 데일리 미러지의 사진기자로도 일하다가 1968년 뉴욕에서 세상을 떠났다. 위지라는 이름은 범죄나 비상상황에 즉각적으로 도착하는 모습이 '위자 보드(ouija board)'처럼 마법으로 보여서 붙여진 별명으로 알려졌다. 

 

 

The International Center of Photography Presents Weegee: Society of the Spectacle

 

On View January 23-May 5, 2025

The International Center of Photography | 84 Ludlow Street, New York

 

Weegee, Photographers at Premier, c.1951. © International Center of Photography/Getty Images

 

The International Center of Photography (ICP) is pleased to announce Weegee: Society of the Spectacle, an exhibition presented in partnership with Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paris and curated by Clément Chéroux, Director of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson. 

 

This exhibition revisits Weegee’s bold, boundary-pushing perspective and celebrates his pioneering role in documenting spectacle, from crime and tragedy on New York City’s streets to distorted portraits of iconic Hollywood celebrities. The exhibition will be accompanied by a new publication created by the Fondation and Thames & Hudson that explores the impact of Weegee’s art and his critical view of urban spectacle. ICP is excited to present the new Englishlanguage edition of this important study of Weegee’s work.

 

Weegee: Society of the Spectacle marks the sixth major presentation of Weegee’s work at ICPand the first since it relocated to Manhattan’s Lower East Side neighborhood, the very same one that Weegee transformed into an urban stage in his photographs. The exhibition arrives at a time when his commentary on the blurred lines between reality and performance and news and entertainment feel newly relevant and urgent in the age of smartphones and viral media where every individual has become both a voyeur and a consumer of spectacle.

 

Drawn largely from ICP’s Weegee collection, itself comprised of his entire studio archive and also the most comprehensive holdings of the photographer’s work in the world, Weegee: Society of the Spectacle is a re-examination of the photographer’s visual commentary on the society of his time, connecting his early career documenting New York City streets to his later work in Hollywood’s glamorized world of celebrity and working with experimental image distortions. Long regarded as two distinct periods in his career, the works in Weegee: Society of the Spectacle challenge this division by underscoring how Weegee’s exploration of spectacle persisted across different contexts—from crime scenes and fires to red carpet premieres.

 

 

 

Weegee’s masterful depiction of the ‘society of spectators’ captures both the unfiltered, everyday urban experience and the glossy allure of fame. “While he may never have imagined the centrality of images to contemporary life, Weegee’s provocative and prescient perspective on urban life forces us to reflect on how we now exist simultaneously as both consumers and the consumed,” Elisabeth Sherman, Senior Curator and Director of Exhibitions and Collections at ICP, said. “In an age where technology and constant image sharing shape our reality, Weegee’s work challenges us to reconsider the camera’s role not only as a witness but as an active participant in the creation of spectacle.”

 

Clément Chéroux, Director at Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, stated, “Weegee’s works highlight his ability to capture life’s extremes, from high society to the underworld. Often working at night, Weegee’s images of crime, fire and urban unrest reveal the harsh realities of 1930s and 1940s New York. His later shift to Hollywood did not distance him from this focus on spectacle but rather amplified his satirical approach, as he created playful distortions of celebrities that critiqued the American obsession with fame."

 

The exhibition will highlight three recurring themes in Weegee’s work. The Spectacle of the News focuses on his nighttime photos of crime scenes, car accidents and fires, where the onlookers are as important as the events themselves. The Society of Spectators shows Weegee’s lens turned towards the people on the fringes of the main action—from high-society parties to street scenes—emphasizing that spectatorship is part of the spectacle. Hollywood Distortions highlights Weegee’s later years, which saw him experiment with techniques that satirized Hollywood stars and the world of celebrity through exaggerated photo-caricatures, offering a pointed critique of the culture of fame.

 

The publication accompanying the exhibition, Weegee: Society of the Spectacle, further explores these themes, presenting essays by leading photography scholars including Clément Chéroux, Isabelle Bonnet, David Campany and Cynthia Young alongside rare archival material that deepens the viewer’s understanding of Weegee’s complex legacy. The book, published by Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson and Thames & Hudson, will be available for purchase at ICP’s bookstore and through select retailers