Born in 1962, Cristina Nuñez started taking self-portraits in 1988 as a form of self-therapy, to overcome low self-esteem and stimulate her creative process. Up to the early 2000s, she produced photography books in which she addressed social questions through the portrait. On the margins of this public body of work, she continued taking self-portraits, which became Someone to Love; since 2005 this has been the focus of her work, as well as of The Self-Portrait Experience workshops that she has been conducting around the world. In 2013 she started her ongoing net-art project La Vie en Rose, on video, performance and web platform, with the real goal of finding her perfect partner. Nuñez considers herself a social activist, using her own life to stimulate the viewer to mirror himself in her work.
Nuñez is now living in Northern France and working in Luxembourg as part of the non-profit Art as Experience asbl. In February 2020 she has obtained a PhD by Published Works at the College of Arts and Humanities, University of Derby, UK.
EDUCATION
In February 2020 Nuñez has obtained her PhD in Published Works on her practice and method at the College of Arts of the University of Derby, UK.
AWARDS AND GRANTS
2024 – Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande Duchesse Charlotte for the EMoSEE Cube.
2023-24-25 – Ministry of Education of Luxembourg and Fondation Sommer for the EMoSEE project and educational tool.
2023 – Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande Duchesse Charlotte for the collaborative film project “Good Morning Heartache” about domestic violence.
2023 – Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande Duchesse Charlotte for a three month project in Luxembourg Penitentiary Centre.
2022 – Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande Duchesse Charlotte for a three month project in Luxembourg Penitentiary Centre.
2020-22 – Esch 2022 European Capital of Culture – Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande Duchesse Charlotte – Fondation Sommer.
2020 – Diamond Phototherapy Award, Royal Photographic Society, Bristol, UK.
2017 – Female Photographer Career Award, Benevento International Photography Trophies.
2017 – Tina Price, Vitrine 7, Sao Paulo.
2015-16 – EEA Grants for the project “We Exist, self-portraits in Norwegian prisons”.
2015 – OSIC, Office for the Support of Cultural Initiative, Catalan Government, for her project “La Vie en Rose, the dialogue”.
2015 – La Caixa Obra Social, for her project Self-Portraits in Barcelona’s prison Quatre Camins.
2014 – OSIC, Office for the Support of Cultural Initiative, Catalan Government, for her project “Her/Story, Women Behind the Camera”
2013 – video La Vie en Rose #2 obtains the runners-up mention of the Ciutat de Palma Visual Arts Award.
2013 – 2014 – grant from the Norwegian embassy in Spain, programme “Cultural Diversity and Cultural Exchange”- project Her/Story, Two Women Behind the Camera.
2013 – OSIC, Office for the Support of Cultural Initiative, Catalan Government, for her project La Vie en Rose and her exhibition But Beautiful at Sponge Arte Contemporanea, Italy.
2013 – Her work But Beautiful obtains the Prix de la Critique 2013, Festival Voies Off, Arles.
2013 – Nuñez obtains the prize Premio Ora, Italy, for an exhibition at the gallery Sponge Arte Contemporanea, in Pergola, Italy.
2012 – La Caixa Obra Social, for her project Self-Portraits in Barcelona’s prison Lledoners
2012 – her video Someone to Love wins the Celeste Prize 2012.
2012 – OSIC, Office for the Support of Cultural Initiative, Catalan Government, for her exhibition Someone to Love at H2O gallery in Barcelona and Luova gallery in Helsinki and for her book But Beautiful – Higher Self.
2011 – CONCA, Council of the Arts and Culture of the Catalan Government, for her exhibition Someone to Love at the Mois de la Photo of Montreal 2011.
2010 – La Caixa Obra Social, for her project Self-Portraits in Barcelona’s prison Brians 1
2010 – Finalist and honourable mention at the Interim No.1 of the New York Photo Awards.
1996 – Mosaique, CNA Luxemburg, for her project Heaven on Earth.
1994 –Fondazione Studio Marangoni, Florence, for her project Body & Soul.
ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2025 – So What? Museu de l’Empordà, Figueres.
2024 – Good Morning Heartache, Trifolion, Echternach, Luxembourg.
2024 – All of Me, all of You, Neimënster Abbey, Luxembourg.
2023 – Echoes of Self II, Maison du Savoir, University of Luxembourg.
2023 – Echoes of Self I, Centre des Arts Pluriels de Ettelbruck.
2022 – Il potere curativo della vulnerabilità, Maria Livia Brunelli Gallery, Ferrara.
2022 – Artefiera, Bologna – monographic stand of Maria Livia Brunelly Gallery.
2022 – My Echo, My Shadow and Me as part of Esch 2022 European Capital of Culture.
2021 – launch of her Youtube video channel.
2017 – El Fill i la Puta, exhibition and performance. Sala Zero, Roca Umbert Fabrica de les Arts.
2016 – Higher Self, Maif Social Club, Paris.
2015 – But Beautiful, Chobi Mela Festival, Dakha, Bangladesh.
2014 – Someone to Love, The Boiler Room, Oslo.
2013 – But Beautiful, at Sponge Arte Contemporanea, Pergola, Italy.
2013 – La Vie en Rose and Someone to Love, video and performance, Encontros da Imagem, Braga.
2013 – La Vie en Rose and Someone to Love, video and performance, Editions Limités, Galerie du 4 Septembre, Arles.
2013 – La Vie En Rose, video premiere and performance, Effearte Gallery, Milan.
2012 – Someone to Love, Luova gallery, Helsinki
2012 – Someone to Love, H2O gallery, Barcelona
2012 – Someone to Love, MS Galería, Madrid
2011 – Someone to Love, video preview, H2O gallery, Barcelona
2011 – Someone to Love, Skol Centre des Arts Actuels, Mois de la Photo de Montreal 2011.
2010 – Higher Self, The Private Space Gallery, Barcelona
2008 – I am a teenager, Polifemo, La Fabrica del Vapore, Milan (curator)
2007 – Young Italian Gentle Men, Spazio Private Larusmiani, Milan
2000 – I am, Galeria Franca Speranza, Milan
1998 –To Hell and Back – Risiera di San Sabba, Trieste
1997 – To Hell and Back:
Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Biblioteca Nazionale, Turin
Museo Monumento al Deportato, Carpi
Palazzo Reale, Milan
Encontros de Fotografia, Coimbra, Portugal
1995 – Body & Soul, Fondazione Studio Marangoni, Florence
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 – Me, Myself % Us, Arendt House, Luxembourg.
2022 – Frisch Photography Exhibition, Luxembourg.
2021 – Mirrored, MUU Helsinki Contemporary Art Centre
2017 – Uno Sguardo Nuovo, Ex-Expo Senigallia, Italy
2017 – Les Nuits Photographiques, Institut Français de Madrid, June 2017.
2016 – We Exist, permanent online exhibition
2016 – Encontros da Imagen, projection of the video Happiness is a warm gun.
2015 – Money, Les Nuits Photographiques, Pavillon Carré de Baudoin, Paris.
2015 – Self-timer Stories, MUSAC, Contemporary Art Museum in León.
2015 – TNG, Teenagers Granollers, Roca Umbert Fàbrica de les Arts (curator and lead artist)
2014 – I AM, Memoirs of Addiction Recovery, Manchester Metropolitan University.
2014 – “2004-2014. Opere e progetti del Museo di Fotografia Contemporanea“, Triennale, Milan.
2014 – Her/Story, Women Behind the Camera, H2O Gallery, Barcelona.
2013 – But Beautiful, projection at Voies Off Festival, Arles.
2013 – video Someone to Love and the book But Beautiful, The Flood Wall II, Berlin.
2012 – video Someone to Love, Celeste Prize 2012, Centrale Montemartini, Rome.
2012 – video Someone to Love, Social Photo Fest, Perugia.
2012 – video Someone to Love, Social Photo Fest, Piombino.
2012 – video Someone to Love, Les Nuits Photographiques, Rencontres d’Arles.
2012 – video Someone to Love, Les Nuits Photographiques, Paris.
2011 – 2000 & 11 Self-Portraits, Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki.
2011 – 2000 & 11 Self-Portraits, European Capital of Culture 2011, Turku. Peri Photography Centre.
2011 – Higher Self, “Second Lives: Jeux Masqués et Autres Je”, Casino of Luxemburg.
2010-11 – Grandi e Piccole, Museo di Fotografia Contemporanea, Cinisello Balsamo, Italy.
2010 – Io mi vedo così: Autoritratti Fotografici, Centro Italiano Fotografia d’Autore, Bibbiena.
2010 – Autoritratto al Femminile, Polifemo, Fabbrica del Vapore, Milan.
2010- Foto d’Autrice, Galleria Bel Vedere, Milan.
2009- The Self-Portrait Experience, Festival FotoGrafia, Rome.
2008 – De L’Europe, CNA Luxemburg.
2006-2007 – Il Sole nelle Mani, Bariphotocamera.
2006 – Tales from a Globalized World, United Nations, New York.
2005 – Tales from a Globalized World, Krakow, Vienna, Dhaka.
2005 – Est-ce ainsi que les hommes vivent, Jardins du Luxembourg, Paris.
2004 – Tales from a Globalized World, Zurich, Chiasso.
2003- Quotidiano al Femminile, Galleria del Credito Valtellinese, Milan.
2003 – Tales from a Globalized World, Geneva.
2002- The Spirit of Religion, Photocenter Skopelos.
1999- Papa, Maman, Chateau de Nyon.
1999- Philip Morris Gallery, Galeria Giò Marconi, Milan
1998 – Images du Monde Interieur, Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie, Arles.
1996-Il Ritratto, un’Evoluzione, Breracult, Milano, curated by Photology, Milan.
PERSONAL BOOKS
2012 – But Beautiful, Le Caillou Bleu, Brussels.
2010 – Someone to Love, The Private Space Books, Barcelona.
2006- Young Italian Gentle Men, Valentina Edizioni, Milan.
2000 – Io Sono (I am), Dianova, Milan.
1997 – All’Inferno e Ritorno (To Hell and Back), Art&, Udine, Italy.
COLLECTIVE BOOKS
2018 – Mundo. Imagem. Mundo. Photography Festival Belo Horizonte, Brazil
2017 – Chi sono io? by Concita de Gregorio, Contrasto, Milan
2015 – Money, Les Nuits Photographiques, Paris.
2015 – Self-Timer Stories, Felicitas Thun-Hohenstein, MUSAC.
2015 – Intimacy. Chobi Mela Photo-festival, Bangladesh.
2014 – Opere e progetti del Museo di Fotografia Contemporanea, Silvana Editore, Milan.
2014 – L’Arte è utile, comunque bella, Adina Pugliese, Meta Edizioni, Italy.
2013 – I as Me, the making of 2000 & 11 Self-portraits, Turku University of Applied Sciences.
2013 – Phototherapy and Therapeutic Photography in a Digital Age, Del Loewenthal, Routledge, London.
2012 – Il corpo solitario. L’autoscatto nella fotografia contemporanea, Rubettino, Soveria Mannelli.
2011 – 2000&11 Self-Portraits, European Capital of Culture, Turku, Finland.
2011 – Lucidity, Inward Views, Mois de la Photo de Montreal.
2010 – Autofocus, Stefano Ferrari – Chiara Tartarini, Ed. Clueb, Bologna.
2008 – De L’Europe, CNA Luxembourg, Dudelange.
2007 – Il Sole nelle Mani, Bariphotocamera, Motta Editore, Milan.
2005- Est-ce ainsi que les hommes vivent, Editions du Chène, Paris.
2003- Tales from a Globalized World, Thames & Hudson, London.
2003- Quotidiano al Femminile, Peliti Associati, Rome.
2001 – The Spirit of Religion, Skopelos, Greece.
1999 – Paradise, ed. Steidl, Germany.
1997 – Europa, Encontros de Fotografia de Coimbra, Portugal.
1996 – Vita da Bambino, Art&, Udine, Italy.
FILMOGRAPHY
COLLECTIONS
Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris
Centre Nationale de l’Audiovisuel, Dudelande, Luxembourg
Museo di Fotografia Contemporanea, Cinisello Balsamo.
SDC, Ministry of Forgeign Affairs, Switzerland.
MNAC, National Photography Collection of Catalonia, Spain.
Camera di Commercio di Bari.
H2O gallery, Barcelona.
The Private Space gallery, Barcelona.
Encontros de Fotografia, Coimbra, Portugal.
Sponge Arte Contemporanea, Pergola, Italy.
WORKSHOPS - The Self-Portrait Experience (2005 – 2012)
European Capital of Culture 2011 – Turku
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Cinisello Balsamo, Milan.
SKOL, Centre des Arts Actuels, Mois de la Photo de Montreal 2011
Casino of Luxemburg, Contemporary Art Center
The Private Space Gallery, Barcelona
Consarc Gallery, Chiasso (CH)
Forma, International Centre of Photography, Milan
Luova gallery, Helsinki
Maison de l’Image, Grenoble
MC2 gallery, Milan
MS galería, Madrid
Retine Argentique, Marseille
Brians 1 prison, Barcelona
Wad Ras prison, Barcelona
Lledoners prison, Barcelona
Quatre Camins prison, Barcelona.
San Vittore prison, Milan
Bredtveit prison, Oslo
Ullersmo prison, Oslo
Ila prison, Oslo
Bollate prison, Milan
La Stampa prison, Lugano (CH)
University of Roehampton, London
University of Northampton (conference)
University of Luxemburg
New York University (conference)
University of Turku, Finland
University ofBarcelona (conference)
University of Girona (conference)
University of Bicocca, Milan (conference)
Catholic University of Milan
University of Bologna
Turku Academy of Arts, Finland
Domus Academy of Fashion and Design, Milan
Tampere University Hospital, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Finland
ASL Mental Health Centre, Lucca, Italy
Nou Barris Mental Health Day Hospital, Barcelona, for teenagers
SERT, Public Service for Drug Addictions, Palermo
Manchester Metropolitan University, European project “I Am, Memoirs of Addiction Recovery”
Association for the Unemployed, Turku
Erich Fromm Institute, Bologna
Sistema Counseling, Milan
Angelo Azzurro, Roma
Corso High School, Correggio, Italy
Kastu School, Turku
Raunistula School, Turku
Hansa shopping centre, Turku
Waldorf School, Milan
Public primary school, Gorgonzola, Italy
SDA Bocconi, leadership training, Milan
Marketing Forum, leadership training, Milan
Mida, leadership training, Milan
Watson Wyatt, leadership training, Milan
Housing Works, Women Health Centre, Brooklyn
Institute for the Arts in Psychotherapy, New York
Finnish Association of Photo-therapy, Turku, Finland
Korean Association of Photo-therapy, Seoul, Korea
Ariele, psychotherapy association, Milan
Philo, school for psychological practices, Milan
Ispa, art-therapy school, Barcelona
Institute of Family Therapy, Florence
Future Concept Lab, Milan
Saatchi & Saatchi, leadership training, Milan
Hotel Diana Majestic, Milan
Muksumanki, leadership training, Turku
Italfondiario, leadership training, Milan and Rome
Danone, leadership training, Milan
Banca del Mezzogiorno, leadership training, Milan
Spazio Labò, Bologna
Candiani Cultural Centre, Venice
Citilab, Cornellà, Spain
Bottega Immagine, Milan
Spazio Lambrate, Milan
Social Photo Fest, Perugia
Pathsala Photography Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Roca Umbert Fàbrica de les Arts, Granollers, Barcelona
ARTICLES on The Self-Portrait Experience
2012 Interview to Cristina Nuñez, Progresso Fotografico.
2012 L’autoritratto in tempi di crisi, Wall Street International.
2012 L’autoritratto in tempi di crisi, Kritika.
2012 L’autoritratto in tempi di crisi , Foto.it.
2010 “Autoritratto come auto-terapia”, Autofocus, Bologna.
2010 “La terapia dell’autoscatto”, La Stampa, Turin.
2009 “L’Autoritratto? E’ terapeutico” Corriere della Sera, Milan.
2009 “The Self-portrait, a powerful tool for self-therapy”, European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling, Routledge, London.
2009 “The Self-Portrait Performance”, VoiceCom News, Milan.
2009 “Self-Portrait as Self-Therapy”, Vision magazine, Beijing.
2008 “Io sono adolescente”, D Repubblica, Milan.
2008 “The Self-Portrait Experience”, Illywords, Trieste.
2007 “The Self-Portrait Performance”, 7th Floor, Roma.
STUDENT'S THESIS on The Self-Portrait Experience
- Adela Miencilova, De Monfort University, Leicester, MA photography “The Self as a Photographic Metaphor in Mental Health” , 2010
- Giuliana Lioce, Bologna Arts Academy, COBASLID: Corsi Biennali di Secondo Livello ad Indirizzo Didattico – Educazione Artistica “Autoritratto, tra Indice e Identità”, 2009
- Giada Carraro, University of Bologna – Faculty of Humanities MA in History of Art “Attraverso l’obiettivo: il potere terapeutico della fotografia, tra arte e psicologia”, 2010
- Alexandra Hoffman, Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara, California. Master Science in Photography “Messages from the Unconscious: Self-Portrait Photography as a Discovery of Being”, 2009
- Valentina Brivio, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano – Facoltà di Psicologia – Corso di Laurea in Psicologia Clinica “L’immagine Corporea degli Adolescenti: l’Autoritratto Fotografico come Auto-Definizione del Sé”, 2011
- Carla Visone, Università degli Studi Suor Orsola Benincasa – Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione – Corso di Laurea Scienze dello Spettacolo e Produzioni Multimediali – Tesi di Laurea in Teoria e Storia della Fotografia “Ignoto a me stesso: Autoritratti Fotografici d’Autore”, 2012
- Leena Koulu, “A leader’s self-portrait – new methods for personal coaching”, MBA Executive, University of Tampere – University of Applied Science and Technology, Tampere, Finland.
- Federica Valvassori, Università degli Studi Ca’ Foscari di Venezia – Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia – Dipartimento di Filosofia e Beni Culturali – Master Universitario di 1º Livello in Comunicazione Linguaggi Non Verbali: Psicomotricità Musicoterapia e Linguaggi della Performance – Il processo performativo nell’autoritratto Identità tra ricerca e trasformazione, 2012.
- Erica Pasinato, Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia – Corso di Diploma equivalente alla laurea di primo livello in arti visive e discipline dello spettacolo. L’autoritratto fotografico, 2010.
- Ester Roig Luque, Istituto Daina Isard de Olesa de Montserrat – La Experiència de l’Autorretrat,
- Luciana Vasques Barbosa, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University – Faculty of Media and Communication – MA : Self-Portraiture and future : an examination of a photographer’s creative identity, 2011
- Federica Nardese, Università Milano-Bicocca – Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione Le competenze Quali abilità sviluppare per utilizzare le strategie del racconto nel lavoro e nella vita, 2011.
- Erika Di Sano, Università L’Aquila, Italy – MA in Applied Psychology: “La dimensione emotiva umana: psicologia dell’autoritratto e The Self-Portrait Experience” 2011-2012
- Elisa Scala, University La Sapienza, Rome, Faculty of Humanities and Philosophy: “Fuori dalla camera oscura: le immagini che guariscono” , 2012-2013
- Begoña Cardiel Escudero, “La Fotografia como Herramienta en Terapia Gesthalt”, Asociación Española de Terapia Gesthalt (AETG), 2015.
- Sara Colzi, LABA Firenze. “La fototerapia: fotografia come strumento terapeutico”. 2015
- Francesca Oro “L’autoritratto fotografico come processo di riconoscimento dell’io e della propria umanità.” ROMA TRE, Università degli Studi, Dipartimento Scienze della Formazione, 2015/16.
- Noemi Genaro, “El Autorretrato Fotográfico como Herramienta Educativa”, tesi dottorato, Universidad de Granada, Posgrado en Artes y Educación, 2013.
- Itsaso Güemes, “La Experiencia del Autorretrato” 2015 : tesi del percorso per facilitatori di autoritratto trasformativo secondo il metodo The Self-Portrait Experience”, condotto da Cristina Nuñez.
- Susanna Venturi, “Ritratto e autoritratto fotografico della donna in gravidanza nel XXº secolo”, Arte e Psicologia.
- Carla Lintas, Università ALMA MATER STUDIORUM Bologna. Tesi di laurea magistrale in Psicologia dell’Arte: “Austoscatti al femminile. Autoritratti contemporanei nella fotografia terapeutica”- 2015/2016
- Micol Costantini, “Ma il corpo, cos’è mai il corpo?” Tesi di laurea – DAMS, Bologna, 2015.
- Natalia Panek, “The personal is political”, University of Westminster, School of Media Arts and Design, BA Honors Photographic Arts, 2017/2018.
- Francesca Oss, “Autoritratto fotografico e psicosintesi – The Self-Portrait Experience: un’esperienza psicosintetica” – Istituto Internazionale di Psicosintesi Educativa – Trento – Tesi finale corso in counseling psicosintetico.
- Eleonora Pessina, “Arte come cura – arte come consapevolezza” – Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, Milano. Tesi di laurea in Nuove Tecnologie dell’Arte. 2017/2018.
- Cornelia-Reyes García Fernández, “Vivir Enfadada – una aproximación a la vivencia y el manejo del enfado desde la Terapia Gestalt”. Asociación Española de Terapia Gestalt. 2018.
- Lucia Alessandrini, “L’Autoritratto, un atto creativo – applicazione del metodo The Self-Portrait Experience di Cristina Nuñez. Formazione per facilitatori di autoritratto The Self-Portrait Experience – 2019.
- Chiara Digrandi. “The Self-Portrait Experience” – Formazione per facilitatori di autoritratto The Self-Portrait Experience – 2019.
- Paolo Luppino “The Self-Portrait Experience” – Formazione per facilitatori di autoritratto The Self-Portrait Experience – 2019.
- Anna Ghittino “L’autoritratto come ricerca del sé. L’esperienza di Cristina Nuñez” Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara – Scuola di Nuove Tecnologie dell’Arte. Diploma Accademico di Primo Livello.
- Aoife O’Sullivan “How might social media impact on adolescent identity formation? How do selfies and self-portraiture compare?” – M.A. in Art Therapy – Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork, Ireland.
- Bianca Sacheli “La performance digitale dell’io. Autoritratto fotografico e selfie come processo di autocoscienza emozionale e formazione negli adulti” – Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca – Dipartimento di Scienze Umane per la formazione “Riccardo Massa” – Corso di Laurea in Scienze dell’Educazione.