The fair organisers
Fiera di Senigallia
Interview with Serge Plantureux
By Michael Diemar
Interview with Serge Plantureux
By Michael Diemar
The Senigallia vintage photography fair (Fiera di Senigallia) grew out of the Biennale di Senigallia, both initiated in 2019 by Serge Plantureux. With roots in science and mathematics, Plantureux has quietly spent decades immersed in books, archives, and, since 1998, the world of photography. His work has included research, cataloguing, and the study of rare printed materials. Through collaborations with librarians, historians, and museums, he has contributed to projects on historical photography and manuscripts, including the Nicéphore Niépce archive preserved by Janine Niepce and, more recently, the intriguing Alphonse-Eugène Hubert archive, offering new insights into August 1839 announcement of the invention.
These efforts have taken form as catalogues, exhibitions, and new collections. In recent years, Plantureux has devoted himself to investigating historic puzzles and to sharing his experience through teaching, assisting European University ERASMUS projects in Senigallia. Preferring to remain in the background, he is guided by curiosity and the quiet pleasure of discovery.
As I understand it, the fair grew out of the Biennale di Senigallia. How did the Biennale come about?
– The Biennale was first conceived as an exhibition-based event, a place to study and present rare documents and materials from the history of photography. The idea was to make available objects that are rarely accessible to the public, which people usually only see reproduced in books or online.
Some would expect you to hold a fair in Rome or Milan, so why in Senigallia?
– Senigallia, home to photographer Mario Giacomelli, has a singular photographic tradition and a cultural landscape that in a very genuine way supports this kind of initiative. It is obviously smaller than Rome or Milan, but that is part of its charm. The Biennale here is not about scale or spectacle but about goodwill, focus and serendipity.
Can you tell me a little about the Biennale and what can be seen and experienced?
– At the last edition, there were around twelve exhibitions. Some dealt with well-known episodes in the history of photography, but others presented rarer material, such as manuscripts by Eugène Hubert, who can be considered a missing figure in the French narrative of the invention of photography. Students in an Erasmus program also took part, both by supporting the organization and by contributing to discussions. The exhibitions were accompanied by conferences, so the emphasis is on research and exchange.
About the fair, how many exhibitors participate?
– The fair itself is a smaller, additional event alongside the Biennale. This year it took place from Friday evening to Saturday morning, with about a dozen exhibitors, including a few contemporary artists showing their own prints.
What’s the range of material on offer?
– The range was broad: early photography, 19thcentury prints, books, and photographs by contemporary artists. Exhibitors came from France and Italy, especially Rome, and there was interest from serious collectors, including a notable Dutch client, a French collector, and a wellknown American specialist in 19th century photography.
Are there activities around the fair? Talks? Lectures?
The core of the Biennale lies in its exhibitions, with talks and lectures designed to support and expand on them. The fair is an additional moment that creates opportunities for exchange, trade, and seeing photographic works in their original form.