NeoRealismo: The New Image in Italy, 1932–1960 explores Italian Neorealism in photography, as it documented Italy’s economic and social conditions in the mid-20th century and its rise as a democratic nation. Originally used for Fascist propaganda, the camera in Italy became a tool for artists to reveal the poverty and oppression of their country and a way to instigate positive social development and create a national identity. The NeoRealismo style became a call for economic justice as well as an artistic movement that influenced the modern world.

The achievements of that movement are celebrated in this exhibit of more than 100 photographs—primarily vintage prints—by over 50 Italian artists, paired with the original publications in which they circulated— illustrated magazines, photo books, and exhibition catalogues. Together these images portray the seismic changes that took place throughout Italy during and after the war.