Centro de fotografia de Montevideo english

The key objective of the Centro de Fotografía de Montevideo (CdF) is to work with and through photography in order to encourage reflection and critical thought processes on issues of social interest, contributing towards debates on the construction of identity and citizenship. Based on these principles, we carry out different activities from diverse approaches and perspectives.

We manage an archive containing images from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. In constant growth, this archive places emphasis on Uruguay's capital city, Montevideo. In addition to managing the archive, we promote the creation, access and distribution of photographs deemed of particular interest to Uruguayan and Latin American audiences in view of their local and regional themes, authors or producers, and their relevance with regard to identity and heritage.

We have a multidisciplinary team that is committed to its task and undergoes constant training. To achieve this, we facilitate a constant dialogue with specialists and professionals around the world, organising meetings, exchanges, and the spread of knowledge and experience between individuals and institutions from Uruguay and abroad.

The aim is to become a reference institution at a national and regional level, producing content, activities and spaces for encounter across and throughout the different areas that constitute photography in a broad sense, inclusive of a diverse public.

Created in 2002, the CdF is part of the division Información y Comunicación (Information and Communication) of the Intendencia de Montevideo (City Council). From July 2015, its main venue moved to a 1932 historical art deco building located on 18 de Julio avenue, home to the former Bazar Mitre, a famous department store. The new venue counts with a much larger surface area and better infrastructure and provides greater access to the different photographic archives and services offered by the CdF.

We currently manage and coordinate spaces devoted exclusively to photographic exhibitions: the three exhibition floors at our main venue, and photo-galleries conceived as permanent open air exhibition spaces located in different parts of the city: Parque Rodó, Prado, Ciudad Vieja, Villa Dolores, Peñarol, and more. The exhibition program is organized annually on the basis of submissions from our yearly open call, which is selected by an external jury, exhibitions organized by us and other projects developed in conjunction with other institutions, following the framework of our curatorial policy.

Among its educational and communication activities, the CdF organizes talks, debates and workshops, such as Fotoviaje (Photo travel), a photographic tour through time produced for school children, and the Photography colloquium - Jornadas sobre fotografía. Organised annually, the colloquium counts with the presence of specialists from Uruguay and all over the world, and is conceived as an instrumental platform for deepening the reflection, critical thought and debate around specific themes regarding photography.

With the aim to encourage the production of photographic works and editions, every year the CdF holds an open call for the publication of photo books and research papers, consolidating the Centre’s editorial approach. We also produce EN CMYK, a photobook based event, composed of seminars, exhibitions, workshops, interviews, and photobook fairs.