Fabiola Cedillo on Presenting Her Work at PhMuseum Days 2021

The Ecuadorian visual artist reflects on what it meant to exhibit her latest research in Europe for the first time, and offers some advice on how to prepare for the Festival's open call.

Last year, Fabiola Cedillo was one of the three artists who joined PhMuseum Days program of exhibition after having presented her work to the Festival's open call. Her work Human, deals with some existential questions about the very essence of birth, and the human being's need for reproduction, whether with a partner or independently, naturally or thanks to science. Her project evolved from very personal questions: “I wondered if the desire to have children develops the same in all people, is there in all humans a natural animal instinct, to continue the species, or could it also be an acquired desire, a social burden?”

For her, people´s stories play an important role in her vision and research. For this reason, her point of view is always changing, extending onto the effects that showcasing her work plays in the making of it. “It is important for me to do surveys, show the photographs and texts in different contexts, this makes the project have a different perspective and can also be adapted to different formats”. Showcasing her project in a new context played a major role both for the work's development and for her career. “Being able to have a solo show at the PhMuseum Days was something important for me as a photographer, but it was also enriching for the project. I was born and live in Ecuador, so it was very meaningful to show my work in another continent. It allows me to spread it to other audiences, get new feedback and generate new connections”.

Fabiola wasn’t able to come to Bologna for the festival due to the pandemic. However, she worked remotely with the PhMuseum curatorial team towards the showcasing of her work. "Together - she comments - we thought about the different formats that we could use to communicate the ideas that I wanted. The team took care of getting what I needed for the exhibition. It was also very comforting to have all the information about the space where the images and objects would be placed. They even sent me a render of the space with the montage, which helped me see how the exhibition would be and finally define the last details”.

An advice for new applicants? "Show your work honestly and with enthusiasm. Don’t apply to all grants with the same formula. Each of us, as authors, need to go through different processes and stages, one of them is to apply and face the possibility of winning or losing, but we must know that neither of these two outcomes defines the quality, intent, or impact of our work. Selecting your best images, writing a statement, and presenting it, is a great step to continue in your career”.


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All photos are installation shots from PhMuseum Days Festival 2021 © PhMuseum

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Fabiola Cedillo is a photographer based in Ecuador. She is obsessed with observing, with images, the movements of adaptation, and the resistance of human beings in the face of social roles, desire, frustration, and idealization. Part of her work focuses on the fascination of marginalized bodies for being "imperfect." Fabiola photographs spontaneously and unconsciously, having chance, matter, and time as elements within her work.

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PhMuseum Days International Photo Festival is an event taking place in Bologna, Italy that brings together photographers and photography lovers across nationalities and styles. Last year's inaugural edition opened under the theme A New Beginning attended by more than 4000 visitors. The new edition will open on 23 September 2022 under the theme Today is Yesterday's Tomorrow, meant as an occasion to reflect on the strong moment of change we are living. The Submissions' Extended Deadline is 19 May 2022. Learn more and apply at phmuseum.com/d22.

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