Tuomo Manninen: Me

From 9 April to 22 June 2025, the Alcobendas Art Centre will host an exhibition Me by the well-known Finnish photographer Tuomo Manninen. The exhibition is part of an ambitious photographic project that Manninen has been developing since 1995 and which has taken him over three decades to photograph communities around the world.

The exhibition presents a selection of group portraits depicting people united by a profession, hobby or shared identity. Manninen has documented communities in cities across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Caribbean with his Hasselblad analogue camera, providing a unique look at groups that engage in meaningful activities but often remain anonymous.

Manninen’s work sits at the intersection of social realism and the European portrait tradition. He shares August Sander’s approach to Lengendre German photography, which is characterised by an aseptic and meticulous approach that elevates the dignity of the subjects above their social background. Each image is carefully composed: lighting, positioning and placement of subjects are controlled, but the spirit of the group emerges freely and openly.

The “Me” series not only documents the diversity of human communities, but also reflects deeply on collective identity and a sense of belonging.

The exhibition is curated by the Spanish artist Pia Ogea and is part of the cultural initiatives supported by the Finnish Institute in Madrid as part of the pARTir programme funded by NextGenerationEU.

In addition, the Finnish Institute in Madrid is organising a second Tuomo Manninen exhibition in Malaga, offering a new opportunity to immerse oneself in the visual world of the artist. The exhibition will open at the Ateneo de Málaga on 4 April.

Me (Nosotros)
Tuomo Manninen
9.4-22.6.2025
Centro de Arte Alcobendas, Sala 1
Mariano Sebastián Izuel, 9
28100 Alcobendas (Madrid)
Monday to Saturday 11 – 21
Sunday 10 – 14
Free admission.