Narrative of a Portrait: Korda’s Che from Revolution to Icon

Curated by Trisha Ziff and organised by the UCR/California Museum of Photography, University of California, Riverside, the exhibition traces Ernesto Che Guevara’s well known portrait entitled Guerrillero Heroico(Heroic Guerrilla) taken by Alberto Díaz Korda in 1960. Considered by many to be the most reproduced image in the history of photography, this portrait has symbolised anti-establishment thought and action for decades.

Guerrillero Heroico(Heroic Guerrilla), a statuesque image shot from below, was taken at a mass funeral on 5 March 1960, at a time when Che held a position in the Cuban government overseeing the country’s transformation from an agrarian to an industrial economy.

“Narrative of a Portrait: Korda’s Che from Revolution to Icon” exhibition brought together photography, posters, film, audio, clothing and artefacts from more than thirty countries. This diverse collection traces the photograph from its revolutionary conception to the present day. The exhibition revealed how, through numerous appropriations, Korda’s Che has been transformed into a symbol that both resists interpretation and remains infinitely malleable.

“Narrative of a Portrait: Korda’s Che from Revolution to Icon” exhibition is made possible with additional support from 212 Berlin, Mexico City; Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City; the Anglo Mexican Foundation and Zone Zero. The exhibition, which has been previously seen in London, New York, Milan, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Mexico City, Barcelona and California, viewed at santralistanbul between 9 October 2008-4 January 2009.