Melissa Ianniello
(Naples,
1991) is a documentary photographer based in Bologna, Italy. After
graduating in Philosophy, she studied documentary photography at
Spazio
Labo', in Bologna, including
participating
in its international educational program, “Photo Workshop New
York”, in Brooklyn.
In 2018 she began her first long-term project, Wish it Was a Coming Out, about the taboo in Italy surrounding older homosexual people. In 2020 she created My Girl is a Boy, a story about her ex-boyfriend’s FtM transition. In the same year, she was selected as a student for the XXXIII Virtual Eddie Adams Workshop. In 2022, her first solo exhibition takes place in the United States, at the Rochester Art Center in Rochester (Minneapolis).
Her photographs have been exhibited at important festivals such as SI FEST, Helsinki Photo Festival, Photoville Fence and PHOTO IS:RAEL. After being a finalist for the Pesaresi Prize, she won several Italian and international awards such as the first edition of Biennale della Fotografia Femminile and the John White Keep In Flight Award. Above all, she was a finalist for the W. Eugene Smith Grant 2020.
The Guardian, Spiegel Wissen, Internazionale, L-Mag, Are We Europe, L'Oeil de la Photographie and Q Code Magazine are some of the newspapers and magazines that have featured her work.
Her artistic research focuses on themes related to gender, sexuality and identity.
In 2018 she began her first long-term project, Wish it Was a Coming Out, about the taboo in Italy surrounding older homosexual people. In 2020 she created My Girl is a Boy, a story about her ex-boyfriend’s FtM transition. In the same year, she was selected as a student for the XXXIII Virtual Eddie Adams Workshop. In 2022, her first solo exhibition takes place in the United States, at the Rochester Art Center in Rochester (Minneapolis).
Her photographs have been exhibited at important festivals such as SI FEST, Helsinki Photo Festival, Photoville Fence and PHOTO IS:RAEL. After being a finalist for the Pesaresi Prize, she won several Italian and international awards such as the first edition of Biennale della Fotografia Femminile and the John White Keep In Flight Award. Above all, she was a finalist for the W. Eugene Smith Grant 2020.
The Guardian, Spiegel Wissen, Internazionale, L-Mag, Are We Europe, L'Oeil de la Photographie and Q Code Magazine are some of the newspapers and magazines that have featured her work.
Her artistic research focuses on themes related to gender, sexuality and identity.
Melissa Ianniello
(Napoli,
1991) è una fotografa documentarista con base a Bologna. Si laurea
in Filosofia e successivamente studia fotografia documentaria presso
Spazio Labo', a Bologna, prendendo parte anche al suo programma di
studi internazionale, “Photo Workshop New York”, a Brooklyn.
Nel 2018 inizia il suo primo progetto a lungo termine, Wish it Was a Coming Out, sul tabù legato all'omosessualità nella terza età in Italia. Nel corso del 2020 realizza My Girl is a Boy, una storia sulla transizione FtM del suo ex compagno. Nello stesso anno, viene selezionata come studentessa per il XXXIII Virtual Eddie Adams Workshop. Nel 2022, inaugura la sua prima personale negli Stati Uniti, al Rochester Art Center di Rochester (Minneapolis).
Le sue fotografie sono state esposte in importanti festival come il SI FEST, l'Helsinki Photo Festival, il Photoville Fence e il PHOTO IS:RAEL. Dopo essere arrivata finalista al Premio Pesaresi ha vinto diversi premi italiani e internazionali tra cui la prima edizione della Biennale della Fotografia Femminile e il John White Keep in Flight Award. Soprattutto, è stata finalista al W. Eugene Smith Grant 2020.
Inoltre, è stata pubblicata su diverse riviste come The Guardian, Spiegel Wissen, Internazionale, L-Mag, Are We Europe, L'Oeil de la Photographie, Q Code Magazine.
La sua ricerca artistica si focalizza sui temi legati al genere, alla sessualità e all’identità.
Nel 2018 inizia il suo primo progetto a lungo termine, Wish it Was a Coming Out, sul tabù legato all'omosessualità nella terza età in Italia. Nel corso del 2020 realizza My Girl is a Boy, una storia sulla transizione FtM del suo ex compagno. Nello stesso anno, viene selezionata come studentessa per il XXXIII Virtual Eddie Adams Workshop. Nel 2022, inaugura la sua prima personale negli Stati Uniti, al Rochester Art Center di Rochester (Minneapolis).
Le sue fotografie sono state esposte in importanti festival come il SI FEST, l'Helsinki Photo Festival, il Photoville Fence e il PHOTO IS:RAEL. Dopo essere arrivata finalista al Premio Pesaresi ha vinto diversi premi italiani e internazionali tra cui la prima edizione della Biennale della Fotografia Femminile e il John White Keep in Flight Award. Soprattutto, è stata finalista al W. Eugene Smith Grant 2020.
Inoltre, è stata pubblicata su diverse riviste come The Guardian, Spiegel Wissen, Internazionale, L-Mag, Are We Europe, L'Oeil de la Photographie, Q Code Magazine.
La sua ricerca artistica si focalizza sui temi legati al genere, alla sessualità e all’identità.
Awards
2021
– Tokyo International Foto Awards,
3rd place (Bronze Prize) in the category People/Portrait and
2nd place (Silver Prize) in the category Editorial
2020
– John White “Keep in Flight” Award, winner
2020
– W. Eugene Smith Grant, finalist
2020
– World Report Award, finalist in the category Single Shot
2020
– Moscow International Foto Awards, 3rd place (Bronze Prize) in the category People/Portrait
2021
- Bresciani Visual Art Special Female Photograhy Award, winner2021
- KLPA2021 Portrait Prize, Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards, finalist2021
– Tokyo International Foto Awards,
3rd place (Bronze Prize) in the category People/Portrait and
2nd place (Silver Prize) in the category Editorial2020
– John White “Keep in Flight” Award, winner2020
– W. Eugene Smith Grant, finalist
2020
– World Report Award, finalist in the category Single Shot2020
– Moscow International Foto Awards, 3rd place (Bronze Prize) in the category People/Portrait2020
– Helsinki Photo Festival, winner2020
– FMoPA's 10th Annual International Photography Competition, 2nd place in the category Documentation / Photojournalism2020
– Biennale della Fotografia Femminile, winner2020
– Italy Photo Award, finalist2018
– Gran Premio Lumix Portfolio Italia Award, finalist2018
– Voglino Prize, finalist2018
– SI FEST Lanfranco Colombo Prize, winner2018
– Marco Pesaresi Award, finalist2017
– CHEAP Street Poster Art Festival, selected2016
– Photo Vogue Festival, Portfolio Review, selected2014
– CHEAP Street Poster Art Festival, selectedSolo Exhibitions
www.rochesterartcenter.org/exhibition/melissa-ianniello
Group Exhibitions
Publications
The Guardian | Spiegel Wissen | Internazionale | L’Oeil de la Photograhie | Are We Europe | Will Italia | Tagebuch | Myp Magazine | Donna Moderna | ze.tt | l-mag | Babelmed | Medfeminiswiya | Q Code Magazine | Vogue
Clients
Serena Dandini (social campaign “La differenza è contro la violenza”) | Drusilla Foer | Instabili Vaganti | Martini Elettrico (Bologna’s Conservatory) | Mantova Pride Festival 2021 | Elastico Records | Smalls Jazz Club (NY) | Locomotiv Club | UNA (Marzia Stano) | Kaki King | SOOKEE | Marino Dolan (musician) | Sandra Cavallini (theatre actress) | Francesca Falchi (theatre actress ) | Marta Proietti Orzella (theatre actress) | Donatella Allegro (theatre actress) | TRENOff Fringe Festival | Magnifico Teatrino Errante | Mata-Malam | Associazione Spigolo Tondo | Progetto Itaca Bologna (Mental Health Association) | Comune di Bologna
Training
2020
– The Eddie Adams Workshop XXXIII, New York (USA)
Education
2022
- “Melissa Ianniello: Wish it Was a Coming Out”, Rochester Art Center, Rochester (Minneapolis), Minnesota, USAwww.rochesterartcenter.org/exhibition/melissa-ianniello
2021
- My Girl is a Boy, video installation within “Roma Fotografia”, Palazzo Merulana (Rome, Italy)2021
- Wish it Was a Coming Out, “Fuori Biennale”, Biennale della Fotografia Femminile (Mantova, Italy)2019
– Wish it Was a Coming Out, SI FEST Savignano Immagini (Savignano sul Rubicone, Italy)Group Exhibitions
2021
–Wish it Was a Coming Out, Roma Fotografia, Bresciani Visual Art Gallery (Rome, Italy)2020
– Wish it Was a Coming Out, PHOTO IS:RAEL International Photography Festival (Tel Aviv, Israel)2020
– Wish it Was a Coming Out, Photoville Fence (Atlanta, Brooklyn, Winchester, Calgary, Denver, Durham, Houston, New Orleans, Sarasota, Seattle - USA)2020
– Wish it Was a Coming Out, Helsinki Photo Festival (Helsinki, Finland)2020
– FMoPA's 10th Annual International Photography Competition (Tampa – Florida, USA)2018
– Wish it Was a Coming Out, Centro Italiano della Fotografia d'Autore (Bibbiena, Italy)2017
– #Disorder, CHEAP Street Poster Art Festival (Bologna, Italy)2014
– #Green, CHEAP Street Poster Art Festival (Bologna, Italy)Publications
The Guardian | Spiegel Wissen | Internazionale | L’Oeil de la Photograhie | Are We Europe | Will Italia | Tagebuch | Myp Magazine | Donna Moderna | ze.tt | l-mag | Babelmed | Medfeminiswiya | Q Code Magazine | Vogue
Clients
Serena Dandini (social campaign “La differenza è contro la violenza”) | Drusilla Foer | Instabili Vaganti | Martini Elettrico (Bologna’s Conservatory) | Mantova Pride Festival 2021 | Elastico Records | Smalls Jazz Club (NY) | Locomotiv Club | UNA (Marzia Stano) | Kaki King | SOOKEE | Marino Dolan (musician) | Sandra Cavallini (theatre actress) | Francesca Falchi (theatre actress ) | Marta Proietti Orzella (theatre actress) | Donatella Allegro (theatre actress) | TRENOff Fringe Festival | Magnifico Teatrino Errante | Mata-Malam | Associazione Spigolo Tondo | Progetto Itaca Bologna (Mental Health Association) | Comune di Bologna
Training
2020
– The Eddie Adams Workshop XXXIII, New York (USA)2019
– Spazio Labo’ Photography, “The Languages of Photography”, Bologna (Italy)2018
– Spazio Labo’ Photography, International Master in Documentary Photography with Davide Monteleone, Bologna (Italy)2014
– PWNY 2014, “Discovery Street” with Landon Nordeman, New York (USA)2014
– PWNY 2014, “The Open City” with Carolyn Drake & Andres Gonzalez, New York (USA)2014
– PWNY 2014, “The Other Story” with Erica McDonald, New York (USA)2014
– Spazio Labo’ Photography, “Being Involved” with Michael Ackerman, Bologna (Italy)2013
– Spazio Labo’ Photography, “Fotogiornalismo di news e attualità” with Alessandro Tosatto, Bologna (Italy)Education