Exposición
Robert Frank and The Americans
Place
Espacio Fundación Telefónica
Date
29 May 2026 - 01 November 2026
The exhibition brings together the complete series of The Americans, the photographic project through which Robert Frank captured the inequalities, consumerism, and social tensions of the United States in the mid-1950s. These iconic images, published in 1958, made a profound impact due to their honesty and their ability to reveal what many preferred to ignore.
Image credit: Robert Frank. Streetcar. New Orleans, 1955 © Robert Frank Foundation, from The Americans.
Image credit: Robert Frank. Tranvía. Nueva Orleans, 1955. Collection Maison Européenne de la Photographie, París © Robert Frank Foundation, from The Americans.
A pioneer in the renewal of photography as an artistic language, Robert Frank forever changed the way we view the world through a camera. As part of the 29th edition of PHotoESPAÑA, the exhibition Robert Frank and The Americans, curated by David Campany and with the support of the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (Paris), offers an exceptional opportunity to rediscover one of the most influential photographic projects of the 20th century. A legendary—and still highly debated—statement on the United States and on photography itself, which continues to challenge new generations.
The exhibition brings together the complete series of The Americans, created during the journey Frank undertook across the United States in the mid-1950s. Throughout that journey, his initial optimism faded as he witnessed firsthand the country’s inequalities, consumerism, and social tensions. Published in 1958 in a book of the same name, these images—now iconic—had a profound impact at the time due to their honesty and their ability to reveal what many preferred to ignore.
In addition to the complete set of photographs from this journey—on loan from the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris—the exhibition also features prints by Frank from the International Center of Photography in New York and from private collections. The exhibition thus offers a chance to revisit this landmark project and understand why it continues to resonate with new generations even today.