Armando Cristeto, “Apolo Urbano (Urban Apollo)”, Mexico City, 1981, Silver Gelatin Print, Collection of Laticia and Stanislas Poniatowski
Born in 1957 in Mexico City, photographer and historian Armando Cristeto began to study photography in 1977 at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico. He was a member of the photography collective known as the Grupo de Fotografos Independientes, one of the numerous cooperatives of artists known as ‘Los Grupos’ proliferating during the late 1970s in Mexico.
Founded by Amando Cristeto’s brother Adolfo Patino, the Fotografos Independientes sought to reach new audiences by taking their exhibitions out onto the street, where their works could interact with the urban context and be appreciated by new classes of people. Their exhibitions were installed along the sidewalks of Mexico City, employing clothesline to hang their photographic prints, or were even paraded through the streets on wheeled carts.
Amando Cristeto has combined his creative photographic work with activity as a curator, promoter, and organizer of Fotografia’s events. He has also participated in the interdisciplinary groups Peyote and La Compañia. Since 1981, Cristeto has served as a member and later as the curator of photography for the Conseio Mexicano de Fotografia,
A lecturer at various photography forums and seminars, Cristeto has also served as a juror at the 5th Photography Biennial of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes and as curator and coordinator of numerous photography exhibitions.