the self-portrait experiencea workshop by cristina nuñez

INTRODUCTION

Cristina Nuñez (1962 Figueres, Spain) has produced numerous photography and video projects which have been published and exhibited worldwide.

Her works have been shown at the Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie in Arles, at the Casino of Luxemburg, at the Mois de la Photo in Montreal, Palazzo Vec-chio in Florence, Palazzo Reale in Milan, the Centre Nationale de l’Audiovisuel in Lu-xemburg, the Museo di Fotografia Contemporanea in Cinisello Balsamo, The Private Space Gallery in Barcelona, Effearte Gallery in Milan, H2O gallery in Barcelona, Peri Photographic Centre in Turku and the Finnish Museum of Photography in Helsinki.

THE SELF-PORTRAIT EXPERIENCE comes from Nuñez’s personal experience, using the photo self-portrait since 1988, after her troubled adolescence as a heroin addict and a prostitute. The method’s goal is the exploration of our multiple identities and the stimulation of the creative process through a series of exercises and the use of specific artistic criteria for the intuitive perception and choice of the works. Since 2005, Nuñez has divulged her method holding workshops and conferences in prisons, mental health institutions, universities, companies, galleries, museums and photography schools in Italy, Spain, Finland, United States, Canada, Luxemburg, France, Korea, Bangladesh and UK.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THESELF-PORTRAIT EXPERIENCE?

- The Self-Portrait Experience allows anyone to experiment the unconscious creative process and, under the artist’s guidance, learn to transform emotions into art.

- In the self-portrait work we are, at the same time, author, subject and spectator. The powerful dynamics between the three roles push our Creative Self to “speak” with the language of art and iconology.

- Being in front of the camera lens stimulates a dialogue between our thinking mind and our “guts” to attain from an inexhaustible source of issues which need to be expressed.

- The self-portrait project can become a “mother project” which will give birth to other “child” projects in the future.

- We learn to dialogue with the images in-depth, using specific artistic criteria for the perception and choice of the works. .

TRANSFORMING PAIN INTO ART

- According to this method, our difficult emotions, our defects, our pain are the best raw material for art and their transformation into works is a very interesting and cathartic process.

- The subconscious creative process produces aesthetically powerful images without our control, stimulated by our emotions.

- The final work, if the subject agrees, can be later shown, communicated to the world and thus the author/subject will acquire an important social role, that of the artist, which expresses present and future human needs.

- Sharing this intimate process with others is extremely stimulating and helps the author/subject realize that he is, like the artist, a speaker for others: the self-portrait works like a mirror...

OBJECTIVES

STIMULATE OUR CREATIVE IDENTITY

Learning how to trigger the unconscious creative process using our emotions Learning how to perceive images in-depth using specific artistic criteria Learning how to make images dialogue with each otherLearning how to build our self-portrait project.

CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVE OUR INNER IMAGE

Allowing us to discover the wonderful plasticity of our identity Stimulating self-awareness Activating thought processes which are necessary for our evolution

CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVE OUR PUBLIC IMAGE

Allowing others to see us from another point of viewStimulating a new aperture towards relationships with othersActivating group sharing and collaboration

THE METHOD THE EXERCISES

The complete method is an explorative journey through all aspects of human life. In each intensive weekend we explore one self-portrait exercise, following the method’s structure:

ME : emotions, competences, character representation, body, roots.

ME AND THE OTHER: relationship self-portraits (family, love, friendship, work)

ME AND THE WORLD: self-portraits with our groups (family, work, community) and unknown groups.

Those participants which follow the complete method in several intensive weekends, can build their self-portrait project, an autobiography in images.

STRUCTURE OF THE WORKSHOP

1. Brief workshop: the emotions exercise

Presentation Cristina Nuñez presents her work and the workshop.

Individual sessions- Individual sessions: each participant, alone in the professional photography studio takes a series of collaborative self-portraits, reacting to Nuñez’s instructions. Then Nuñez will guide the participant on the perception and selection of the images. Each individual session lasts 30-40 minutes. - If the number of participants is over 16, Nuñez can work more days on the individual sessions, during conferences, congresses, festivals.

Optional: Exhibition of projection of the images produced during the workshop.

2. Two-day workshop (for max.16 people)

Presentation (previous evening):18.30 - 20.00: Cristina Nuñez presents her work and the workshop.

First day:9.30 – 19.00: Individual sessions: each participant, alone in the professional photography studio takes a series of collaborative self-portraits, reacting to Nuñez’s instructions. Then Nuñez will guide the participant on the perception and selection of the images. Each individual session lasts 30-40 minutes. The other participants work on the perception and choice of given works to practice the artistic criteria, and perform other exercises with their own cameras.

Second day:9.00 – 13.00: participants work in small groups on the perception and choice of the works produced during the sessions, following the given artistic criteria. 14.00 - 18.00: the small groups share the work they have done with the whole group. 18.00 - 19.00: Nuñez introduces the following exercises to work on the method and gives participants some homework.

3. Complete workshop: four weekends

First weekend:ME (emotions)

Presentation (Friday evening):18.30 - 20.00: Cristina Nuñez presents her work and the workshop.

First day (Saturday):9.30 – 19.00: Individual sessions: each participant, alone in the professional photography studio takes a series of collaborative self-portraits, reacting to Nuñez’s instructions. Then Nuñez will guide the participant on the perception and selection of the images. Each individual session lasts 45 minutes. The other participants work on the perception and choice of given works to practice the artistic criteria, and perform other exercises with their own cameras.

Second day (Sunday):9.00 – 13.00: participants work in small groups on the perception and choice of the works produced during the sessions, following the given artistic criteria. 14.00 - 18.00: the small groups share the work they have done with the whole group. 18.00 - 19.00: Nuñez introduces the following exercises to work on the method and gives participants homework for the next weekend.

Second weekend:“ME” (character, body, places, roots)

Saturday and Sunday from 9.30 to 19.00: New self-portrait exercises will be taken in individual sessions in the studio. In the meantime, small groups work on the images produced at home. The groups will then share the work they’ve done on the images with the whole group. Nuñez introduces the following exercises and gives homework for the next weekend.

Third weekend:“ME AND THE OTHER” (relationship self-portraits)

Saturday and Sunday from 9.30 to 19.00: New self-portrait exercises will be taken in individual sessions in the studio. In the meantime, small groups will share and work on the images produced at home. The groups will then share the work they’ve done on the images with the whole group. Nuñez introduces the following exercises and gives homework for the next weekend.

Fourth weekend:“ME AND THE WORLD” (group self-portraits)

Group self-portrait sessions. Building the self-portrait projects.

what do you get from the experience?

A methodology which allows you to explore the multiplicity of your personal and creative identity, producing art using their emotions, to improve self-awareness and to discover your own personal epic.

You learn to perceive images in depth, not only your own, using specific artistic criteria of perception and choice of photographs.

An intense and essential experience which often creates significant relationships and develops a well functioning team at work.

A series of collaborative self-portraits of the highest artistic quality.

For therapists, an innovative method to use in their practice.

An exhibition of your collaborative self-portraits, in case you will agree to their publication.

CRISTINA NUÑEZ BIOGRAPHY

Born in Figueras (Spain) in 1962, Cristina Nuñez is a self-taught artist-photographer whose work has been published and exhibited internationally.

AWARDS AND GRANTS

2015 - OSIC, Office for the Support of Cultural Initiative, Catalan Government, for her project La Vie en Rose.2014 - La Caixa Obra Social, Self-Portraits in Barcelona’s prison Quatre Camins.2013 - 2014 - grant from the Norwegian embassy in Spain, programme “Cultural Di-versity and Cultural Exchange”- project Her/Story, Two Women Behind the Camera, with Norwegian artist Lotte Konow Lund. 2013 - Her work But Beautiful obtains the Prix de la Critique 2013, Voies Off, Arles. 2013 – prize Premio Ora, with the gallery Sponge Arte Contemporanea.2012 - La Caixa Obra Social, project Self-Portraits in Barcelona’s prison Lledoners2012 – video Someone to Love wins the Celeste Prize 2012.2012 – OSIC, Office for the Support of Cultural Initiative, Catalan Government, for Someone to Love at H2O gallery in Barcelona and Luova gallery in Helsinki and book But Beautiful – Higher Self.2011 – CONCA, Council of the Arts and Culture of the Catalan Government, exhibi-tion Someone to Love at the Mois de la Photo of Montreal 2011.2010 - La Caixa Obra Social, project Self-Portraits in Barcelona’s prison Brians 2010 – Finalist and honourable mention Interim No.1 New York Photo Awards.

1996 – Mosaique, CNA Luxemburgo, project Heaven on Earth. 1994 –Fondazione Studio Marangoni, Florence, project Body & Soul.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2015 - But Beautiful, Chobi Mela Festival, Dhaka, Bangladesh.2014 - Higher Self, Retine Argentique, Marseille. 2013 - La Vie en Rose and Someone to Love, video and performance, Encontros da Imagem, Braga.2013 - La Vie en Rose and Someone to Love, video and performance, Editions Limi-tés, Galerie du 4 Septembre, Arles.2013 – La Vie en Rose, video première and performance, Effearte gallery, Milan.2012 – Someone to Love, Luova gallery, Helsinki2012 – Someone to Love, H2O gallery, Barcelona2011 – Someone to Love, video preview, H2O gallery, Barcelona2011 – Someone to Love, Skol Centre des Arts Actuels, Mois de la Photo de Montreal 2011.2010 – Higher Self, The Private Space Gallery, Barcelona2008 – I am a teenager, Polifemo, La Fabrica del Vapore, Milan (curator)2007 – Young Italian Gentle Men, Spazio Private Larusmiani, Milan2000 – I am, Galeria Franca Speranza, Milan1998 –To Hell and Back - Risiera di San Sabba, Trieste1997 – To Hell and Back: Palazzo Vecchio, Florence; Biblioteca Nazionale, Turin;Museo Monumento al Deportato, Carpi; Palazzo Reale, Milan; Encontros de Fotogra-

fia, Coimbra,1995 - Body & Soul, Fondazione Studio Marangoni, Florence.

SELECTED GROUP SHOWS

2015 - Self-Timer Stories, MUSAC, León. 2014 - I AM, Memoirs of Addiction Recovery, Manchester Metropolitan University.2014 - “2004-2014. Opere e progetti del Museo di Fotografia Contemporanea”, Trien-nale, Milan.2014 - Her/Story, Women Behind the Camera, H2O Gallery, Barcelona.2013 – But Beautiful, projection at Voies Off Festival, Arles.2013 - video Someone to Love and the book But Beautiful, The Flood Wall II, Berlin.2012 - video Someone to Love, Celeste Prize 2012, Centrale Montemartini, Rome.2012 – video Someone to Love, Social Photo Fest, Piombino & Perugia.2012 – video Someone to Love, Les Nuits Photographiques, Rencontres d’Arles.2012 – video Someone to Love, Les Nuits Photographiques, Paris.2011 – 2000 & 11 Self-Portraits, Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki.2011 – 2000 & 11 Self-Portraits, European Capital of Culture 2011, Turku. Peri Pho-tography Centre.2011 – Higher Self, “Second Lives: Jeux Masqués et Autres Je”, Casino of Luxemburg.2010-11 – Grandi e Piccole, Museo di Fotografia Contemporanea, Cinisello Balsamo, Italy.2010 – Io mi vedo così: Autoritratti Fotografici, Centro Fotografia d’Autore, Bibbiena.2010- Foto d’Autrice, Galleria Bel Vedere, Milan.

2009- The Self-Portrait Experience, Festival FotoGrafia, Rome.2008 – De L’Europe, CNA Luxemburg.2006-2007 – Il Sole nelle Mani, Bariphotocamera.2005-6 - Tales from a Globalized World, Krakow, Vienna, Dhaka, United Nations, New York.2005 – Est-ce ainsi que les hommes vivent, Jardins du Luxembourg, Paris.2004 – Tales from a Globalized World, Zurich, Chiasso.2003- Quotidiano al Femminile, Galleria del Credito Valtellinese, Milan.2003 – Tales from a Globalized World, Geneva.2002- The Spirit of Religion, Photocenter Skopelos.1999- Papa, Maman, Chateau de Nyon.1998 – Images du Monde Interieur, Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie, Arles.1996-Il Ritratto, un’Evoluzione, Breracult, Milano, curated by Photology, Milan.

PERSONAL BOOKS

2013 – But Beautiful, Le Caillou Bleu, Brussels.2013 – Higher Self, The Self-Portrait Experience, Le Caillou Bleu, Brussels.2010 – Someone to Love, The Private Space Books, Barcelona.2006- Young Italian Gentle Men, Valentina Edizioni, Milan.2000 – Io Sono (I am), Dianova, Milan.1997 - All’Inferno e Ritorno (To Hell and Back), Art&, Udine, Italy.

COLLECTIVE BOOKS

2015 - Self-timer Stories, MUSAC, León.2012 – Il corpo solitario. L’autoscatto nella fotografia contemporanea, Rubettino, Soveria Mannelli.2011 - 2000&11 Self-Portraits, European Capital of Culture, Turku, Finland.2011 - Lucidity, Inward Views, Mois de la Photo de Montreal.2008 – De L’Europe, CNA Luxembourg, Dudelange.2007 – Il Sole nelle Mani, Bariphotocamera, Motta Editore, Milan.2005- Est-ce ainsi que les hommes vivent, Editions du Chène, Paris.2003- Tales from a Globalized World, Thames & Hudson, London.2003- Quotidiano al Femminile, Peliti Associati, Rome.2001 – The Spirit of Religion, Skopelos, Greece.1999 – Paradise, ed. Steidl, Germany.1997 - Europa, Encontros de Fotografia de Coimbra, Portugal.1996 - Vita da Bambino, Art&, Udine, Italy.

COLLECTIONS

Maison Européenne de la Photographie, ParisCentre Nationale de l’Audiovisuel, Dudelande, LuxembourgMuseo di Fotografia Contemporanea, Cinisello Balsamo.SDC, Ministry of Forgeign Affairs, Switzerland.Camera di Commercio di Bari.

H2O gallery, Barcelona.The Private Space gallery, Barcelona.

Workshops The Self-Portrait Experience (2005 – 2015)European Capital of Culture 2011-Turku, Museum of Contemporary Photography-Cinisello Balsamo, SKOL -Centre des Arts Actuels -Mois de la Photo de Montreal 2011, Casino of Luxemburg, The Private Space Gallery-Barcelona, Consarc Gallery-Chiasso, Forma-International Centre of Photography-Milan, Luova gallery-Helsinki, MC2 gallery, Brians 1 prison, Wad Ras prison-Barcelona, San Vittore prison-Milan, Quatre Camins prison Barcelona, University of Roehampton, University of Nor-thampton, University of Luxemburg, New York University, University of Turku, Uni-versity of Barcelona, University of Girona, University of Bicocca, Catholic University of Milan, University of Bologna, Turku Academy of Arts, Domus Academy of Fas-hion and Design, Tampere University Hospital-Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, ASL Mental Health Centre-Lucca, Nou Barris Mental Health Day Hos-pital-Barcelona, SERT-Public Service for Drug Addictions-Palermo, Housing Works, Women Health Centre-Brooklyn, Institute for the Arts in Psychotherapy-New York, Ariele, psychotherapy association, Philo-school for psychological practices, Ispa-art-therapy school, Institute of Family Therapy-Florence, Erich Fromm Institute-Bologna, Sistema Counseling-Milan, Kastu School-Turku, Raunistula School-Turku, Waldorf School-Milan, SDA Bocconi-leadership training-Milan, Marketing Forum-Milan, Mida-leadership training, Watson Wyatt-leadership training-Milan, Future Concept Lab-Milan, Saatchi & Saatchi-Milan, Italfondiario-leadership training-Milan and Rome, Danone Italy-leadership training-Milan, Banca del Mezzogiorno-leader-

ship training, Spazio Labò-Bologna, Citilab-Cornellà, Bottega Immagine-Milan, So-cial Photo Fest-Perugia, Hangar.org-Barcelona, Pathsala Institute Dhaka, Maison de l’Image Grenoble, Retine Argentique Marseille, TNG Roca Umbert Factory Grano-llers.

RESEARCH AND STUDENT’S THESIS ON “THE SELF-PORTRAIT EXPERIENCE”®

The Faculty of Psychology at the Catholic University of Milan is pursuing a research on the effects of Nuñez’s method on people, which has been published in a student thesis by Valentina Brivio (see thesis N.5). Of a group of 39 teenages, 38 asserted that the method had helped them see themselves in a different way.

The following students have included Nuñez’s work in their thesis:1. Adela MiencilovaDE MONFORT UNIVERSITY, Leicester, UK.MA photography“The Self as a Photographic Metaphor in Mental Health” 20102. Giuliana LioceACCADEMIA DI BELLE ARTI, Bologna, Italy. COBASLID: Corsi Biennali di Secondo Livello ad Indirizzo Didattico – Educazione Artistica“Autoritratto, tra Indice e Identità” 20093. Giada Carraro

UNIVERSITA’ DI BOLOGNA – Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia, Bologna, Italy.Laurea Specialistica in Storia dell’Arte“Attraverso l’obiettivo: il potere terapeutico della fotografia, tra arte e psicologia”, 20104. Alexandra Hoffman BROOKS INSTITUTE OF PHOTOGRAPHY, Santa Barbara, California Master Science in Photography “Messages from the Unconscious: Self-Portrait Photography as a Discovery of Being”, 2009 5. Valentina BrivioUNIVERSITÀ CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE DI MILANOFacoltà di Psicologia – Corso di Laurea in Psicologia Clinica“L’immagine Corporea degli Adolescenti: l’Autoritratto Fotografico come Auto-Defi-nizione del Sé”, 2011 6. Carla VisoneUNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI SUOR ORSOLA BENINCASA, Napoli, Italy.Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione“Ignoto a me stesso: Autoritratti fotografici d’autore”, 2011.7. Federica ValvassoriUNIVERSITY CA’ FOSCARI, VENICEFaculty of Philosophy – Department of Philosophy and Cultural HeritageFirst level Master in Communication and Non Verbal Languages : Psychomotricity, Music Therapy and Performance Languages “The educational process in the photographic self-portrait. Identity between re-

search and transformation”, 2012.8. Leena KouluUNIVERSITY OF TAMPERE AND TAMPERE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGYMBA Executive“The self-portrait of a leader : new tools for personal coaching”, 2012.9. Erica PasinatoACADEMY OF ARTS, VENICEMA in Visual Arts. “The photographic self-portrait”, 2010.10. Ester Roig LuqueISTITUTO DAINA ISARD DE OLESA DE MONTSERRATHigh school thesis. “The Self-Portrait Experience” 2012.11. Luciana Vasques BarbosaROYAL MELBOURNE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY – Faculty of Media and CommunicationMA thesis : “Self-Portraiture and future : an examination of a photographer’s creati-ve identity” 201112. Federica NardeseUNIVERSITY OF MILAN - BICOCCAFaculty of Sciences of Education“Narrative skills : which abilities to develop to use the strategies of narrative, both in work and in life”. 13. Erika Di Sano

UNIVERSITY OF L’AQUILA, ItalyMA in Applied Psychology“The Human Emotional Dimension: psychology of the self-portrait and The Self-Por-trait Experience” 2011-201214. Elisa ScalaUNIVERSITY LA SAPIENZA, ROMEFaculty of Humanities and Philosophy“Outside the darkroom: images that heal” , 2012-2013

LINKS

SOMEONE TO LOVE, Nuñez’s autobiography on video: https://vimeo.com/47436146HIGHER SELF, about the method and its philosophy:https://vimeo.com/47436147ISSUU PROFILE (press dossier, workshop dossier in English, Italian and Spanish)http://issuu.com/cristinanunez3/docsVIMEO PROFILE (all videos and performances):https://vimeo.com/user9713227

www.cristinanunez.comwww.self-portrait.eu

cristinanunez.self@gmail.com