Folio 2023/24 Online Masterclass On Photobook

An unprecedented opportunity

Under the guidance of Witty Books publisher Tommaso Parrillo, designer Giulia Boccarossa and PhMuseum curator Rocco Venezia, a selected group of photographers will be followed through the advanced phase of their projects with the goal of concluding a body of work and having it ready for publishing.

At the end of the 7-month masterclass, all participants will be ready to present their work to an international audience in the form of a dummy or a photobook. Furthermore, Witty Books will select one of the participants’ work to be published as a 500-edition photobook as part of its catalogue. Production will be fully financed by Witty Books, with a contribution from PhMuseum. The program will be conducted online, with one final gathering at PhMuseum Days International Photography Festival (Bologna, Italy) where photobooks and dummies will be exhibited.

To participate, simply fill in the form with your personal details, share a link to your portfolio and apply for free. If your application is successful, we will guide you to enroll in the program.

  • When From October 2023 to April 2024
  • Language English
  • Positions 12 seats +1 scholarship
  • Dedication 50+ Hours
  • Contacts If you have any questions you can reach us at edu@phmuseum.com

How it works

  • Group Classes

    During 6 online group classes Tommaso Parrillo, Giulia Boccarossa and Rocco Venezia will give you a general grounding in the contemporary photobook world, editing strategies and design techniques to develop your project into a photobook.

  • One-to-one Mentoring

    The 2 online 60-min individual coaching sessions will give you time to engage in specific discussions aimed at working on your assignment ideas and improving your methods. Sessions are tailor-made according to your specific needs and that of your practice.

  • Studio Visits

    To grant you industry insight and offer complementary information, we have invited expert practitioners to host 12 interactive studio visits. They will disclose the methodologies behind their work and offer you a better understanding of their role in the industry. Scroll down to discover who they are. These sessions will also be joined by Criticae and Mediae Masterclasses participants.

  • Final Presentation and Work Published

    At the end of the program, you are invited to your projects live on PhMuseum's Youtube channel. All the dummies produced by the participants will be displayed at PhMuseum Days. Moreover, Witty Books will select a work to be published in the form of a book. All participants will further benefit from dissemination opportunities through PhMuseum channels and connections.

Head professor

Giulia Boccarossa

Giulia Boccarossa (Italy, 1995) is a graphic designer and illustrator. After finishing her classical studies she started her training as a designer. She graduated from the faculty of Industrial Design at the UNIRSM-IUAV University of San Marino, then she achieved a Master's Degree in Communication and Design for Publishing at ISIA in Urbino with a thesis entitled "Designer's role in the photographic publishing industry: the imprint of the graphic designer on the Italian Photo Book".

Her works have been shown in exhibitions such as the Santarcangelo Theater Festival (2019), the "Italia 90" exhibition organized by Condominio XYZ in Milan (2020), the Graphic Days in Turin (2021) and more recently "Il mestiere di grafico-oggi" at the Triennale, Milan (2022). With her books and illustrations projects, she obtained several awards and recognitions, amongst those the prestigious HISTORICAL BOOK AWARD 2020 by Les Rencontres d'Arles, a shortlist in the ADI Index Catalog 2020 in the Targa Giovani category, the Fedrigoni Top Award 2020, and an honourable mention at the 2020 Marco Bastianelli Award.

She collaborates with photographers such as Pino Musi, Lorenzo Leone and Stefano Cerio and with publishing houses such as Hatje Cantz and Witty Books.

Head professor

Rocco Venezia

Rocco Venezia (1991, Italy) is a visual artist and works as a curator for PhMuseum. Venezia has exhibited his personal work in solo shows at VOID and JEST, while he was displayed in group exhibitions at Fondazione Fabbri, Capa Photography Center, ISSP Gallery and Gallery Image. His monograph Nekyia was published by Witty Books in 2017. In 2018 he has been one of the emerging artists of Parallel Platform. He has been nominated by VOID as one of the Futures Talents of 2021. Next to his personal practice, Venezia works as a curator and producer for PhMuseum since 2017 where he develops educational programs, the editorial line and the curatorial activities of the online community. Lately, he has worked on the concept and editing of the two books by PhMuseum - Familiar Stranger (2020) and Inside (2021) and has been the curator of photography during the PhMuseum Days 2021 International Photo Festival. He is one of the 3 co-founders of PhMuseum Lab.

Head professor

Tommaso Parrillo

Tommaso Parrillo is an Italian publisher and founder of Witty Books, a publishing house founded with the name of Witty Kiwi in 2012, that aims to promote photography and visual arts. Since 2016 he is also co-founder of JEST, an independent space dedicated to enhancing culture and photography in Turin. He also teaches photography in institutions as IED Torino, private school and workshops.

Timeline

  • October 2023

    • Session 1 Group Tutoring with Publisher & PhMuseum
    • Session 2 Group Tutoring with Publisher & PhMuseum
    • Studio Visit #1

  • November

    • Studio Visit #2
    • Session 3 One-to-One Mentoring with Publisher & PhMuseum

  • December

    • Studio Visit #3
    • Studio Visit #4
    • Session 4 Participants' Work Presentation
    • Session 5 InDesign Introductory Workshop with Designer
    • Session 6 Feedback Session with PhMuseum
    • Studio Visit #5

  • January 2024

    • Studio Visit #6
    • Session 7 Dummy Printing Introductory Workshop with Printer
    • Studio Visit #7

  • February

    • Studio Visit #8
    • Session 8 Group Tutoring with Publisher, PhMuseum & Designer
    • Session 9 Group Tutoring with Publisher, PhMuseum & Designer
    • Studio Visit #9

  • March

    • Studio Visit #10
    • Session 10 One-to-One with Publisher, PhMuseum & Designer
    • Studio Visit #11
    • Session 11 Offset Printing Introductory Workshop with Printer
    • Studio Visit #12

  • April

    • Session 12 Publishing Practice Seminar with Publisher
    • Session 13 Group Tutoring with Publisher, PhMuseum & Designer
    • Session 14 Group Tutoring with Publisher, PhMuseum & Designer

Studio visits

  • i

    I am an Iranian photographer, film maker and curator living in the UK. My work questions the identity, it expresses something personal, which pertains to a general issue.

    Amak Mahmoodian

  • i

    © Zöe Maxwell

    Bindi Vora

  • i

    Elisa Medde edits, curates and writes about photography and visual culture. She has served as Editor-in-Chief of Foam Magazine, Amsterdam for 11 years.

    Elisa Medde

  • Federico Clavarino

  • i

    Jon Uriarte (Hondarribia, Spain) is an artist, curator and educator. He is curator of digital programmes at The Photographers Gallery in London, UK and served as curator of Getxophoto Image Festival in Getxo, Spain until 2022.

    Jon Uriarte

  • i

    Is a curator, writer and lecturer based in Zurich and Montreux. Since 2018, he has been a curator and responsable de projets d’expositions at the Photo Elysée in Lausanne.

    Lars Willumeit

  • Mathieu Asselin

  • Sayuri Ichida

  • Silvia Rosi

  • i

    Dutch graphic designer Sybren Kuiper studied Dutch language and literature at the University of Utrecht. After graduating, he studied graphic design at the art academy, also in Utrecht. Since 1994 he works as an independent graphic designer.

    Sybren Kuiper

Why participate?

  • Get published

    This masterclass offers you the concrete and unprecedented opportunity to have the work of a participant published and fully founded. All the class members will also see their projects become ready-to-print dummies.

  • Flexibility

    Enroll from anywhere in the world, taking the opportunity to engage in a program you can attend while working or traveling. All the group sessions and studio visits are recorded so you can follow them if you missed them.

  • Expand your network

    Engage with a selected group of peers and professionals from around the world, who can become a resource also for your future. Take advantage of PhMuseum and Witty Books international networks

  • Inclusivity

    Enjoy a high-end program at our launching price, one of the most competitive on the market. If you don’t have the resources, you can also apply for 1 fully-funded scholarship.

  • Learn practical skills

    This program grants you a first-hand experience encompassing both a theoretical and practical approach to photography, editing and design with the specific goal of a photobook in mind.

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