CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 10/17/2026

ICA Boston presents Melissa Auf der Maur in conversation with Naomi Yang

Saturday, October 17, at 2 PM, ICA Boston presents photographer and musician Melissa Auf der Maur—former member of bands Hole and Smashing Pumpkins—in a conversation with Naomi Yang—multi-disciplinary artist and former member of the ’80s indie band, Galaxie 500—in celebration of Auf der Maur’s new photography book, My '90s Rock Photographs, published by DelMonico Books and Art Gallery of Ontario. A book signing will follow, with Auf der Maur autographing copies of the photobook and her memoir, Even the Girls Will Cry: A ’90s Rock Memoir (DeCapo).** Ticketing information here.

“What’s funny is I mostly picture Melissa with a bass in hand back then and don’t remember her having a camera in her hands at all. Perhaps that’s the point? Her incredible capture of so many innocent and unguarded moments.” —Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins

MELISSA AUF DER MAUR
As the bass player for iconic ’90s alternative rock bands, Melissa Auf der Maur toured the world, documenting life backstage, onstage and in the crowd. She instinctively turned the camera on herself as the most intimately available subject, as informed by her studies at Concordia University where her professor, Raymonde April, introduced her to the subjective self-portraits of Francesca Woodman. By the time she joined Hole for their Live Through This world tour, she requested a roll of 35mm film backstage at every venue. Her daily practice, continually documenting herself and her surroundings, expanded through her creative uses of self-timers and cable releases to take snapshots in the middle of performances. This dedication resulted in an extensive archive of over 10,000 photographs that go behind the scenes of rock-and-roll stardom—hanging out with Pavement, Sonic Youth and Beck; riding in the back of a limousine with Drew Barrymore; and idle time on the set of the music video for Hole’s song “Celebrity Skin.” She was even commissioned by magazines such as Spin to document Lollapalooza 1995 and the Tibetan Freedom Concert of 1996. Gritty and edgy, playful yet deeply personal, Auf der Maur’s intimate photographs celebrate the independent spirit of the ’90s and offer an insider’s view of the decade before smartphones and digital recording software. Through an extensive curatorial selection of more than 200 photographs, her memories create a time capsule for Generation X and a moving self-portrait of a young artist living through the ’90s alternative music scene.

NAOMI YANG
Naomi Yang is a filmmaker, photographer and musician—formerly of the band Galaxie 500, now of Damon & Naomi. She is currently working on a new documentary feature, Superfund: The Unseen Landscape. Her last film, Never Be a Punching Bag for Nobody, was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the Independent Film Festival Boston.

Book Talk: Melissa Auf der Maur with Naomi Yang
Saturday, October 17, 2 PM
ICA Boston
25 Harbor Shore Drive
Boston, MA 02210
Order tickets here

**Please note: additional merchandise and memorabilia will not be able to be autographed at this event.