ARCHIVES – August 10, 2022
Oliviero Toscanione of the most internationally known photographers, was capable of breaking the mold and undermining the certainties that seemed permanent in the last decades of the 20th century. On the occasion of its 80th anniversary, the Municipality of Milan celebrates the event at the Palazzo Reale, hosting the exhibition Oliviero Toscani. Photographer professionwhich brings together his works from the early 1960s to the present day.
The exhibition presents 800 photographs by Toscani, including some of his emblematic works as well as lesser-known works, revealing his career as a man with an ingenious and provocative outlook, who over the decades influenced the habits of several generations.
His images are recognizable, even if they do not show any logo or signature, because he has always used the advertising medium without showing the product, thus making his photography applicable to the communication of any brand. As a photographer and artist, he knows how to communicate through graphics: he uses the advertising tool as a means and never an end. Even mass media (newspapers, magazines and street posters) are part of its language.
Among the photos on stage, we find the iconic poster of Jesus Jeans “Whoever loves me, follow me”, Kiss between priest and nun (1992), Tre Cuori White/Black/Yellow from 1996, No-Anorexia (2007), fashion images (from Donna Jordan to Claudia Schiffer and Monica Bellucci), and those from the period of his training at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich. There are also portraits of personalities like Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, Carmelo Bene, Federico Fellini and key figures of 1970s culture. The exhibition is also an opportunity to discover a selection from the Human Race project, for which Oliviero Toscani visited hundreds of places around the world filming whoever wanted: the result is the largest existing photographic archive on the morphological and social differences of humanity, with more than 10 000 portraits.
The exhibition is staged without sections or chronological order, as a flow of images showing Toscani's engagement in the world of fashion, reportage, advertising, culture, portraits and experimentation , as well as original copies of Colors Magazine, founded and directed by Toscani, and some videos he directed.
With his photos, Toscani inspired the world to address issues such as racism, the death penalty, AIDS, war, and anorexia. He began creating his disruptive images just during the rebel years, those of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, Mary Quant miniskirts and student protests. In the 1970s, he moved to New York, where he frequented Andy Warhol's Factory as well as Club 54 and photographed the protagonists of the musical and artistic scene: Mick Jagger, Joe Cocker, Lou Reed, among others.
Many iconic corporate images and advertising campaigns for Esprit, Chanel, Robe di Kappa, Fiorucci, Prenatal, Jesus, Inter, Toyota, Italian Ministries of Labor and Health, Artemide, Woolworth, to name a few -unes, were created by Toscani. A fairly convincing case is that of the years between 1982 and 2000.
In 1982, Toscani began signing Benetton campaigns, creating a series of iconic photographs. He also created the image, identity and communications strategy for United Colors of Benetton which quickly became one of the best-known brands in the world. In doing so, Toscani used publicity to address serious and urgent issues.
-As a fashion photographer, he has worked and still works with magazines like Elle, GQ, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Stern, Esquire, Liberation and many more. He was also one of the founders of the Mendrisio Academy of Architecture and taught visual communication at various universities.
The exhibition at Palazzo Reale is promoted by Comune di Milano-Cultura, produced and curated by Palazzo Reale and Arthemisia, and curated by Nicolas Ballario.
Another opportunity to see works by Toscani is the exhibition Oliviero Toscani. 80 years as a situationistat the Palazzo Albergati in Bologna. Presented by Arthemisia, with more than a hundred photos.
Paola Sammartano
Paola Sammartano is a journalist, specializing in arts and photography, based in Milan.
OLIVIERO TOSCANI. Photographer profession
June 24 to September 25, 2022
Royal Palace
Piazza del Duomo, 12, 20121 Milan
www.palazzorealemilano.it/en/mostre/professione-fotografo
Olivier Toscani. 80 years as a situationist
April 8 to September 4, 2022
Palazzo Albergati
Via Zaragoza 28, Bologna
www.palazzoalbergati.com/oliviero-toscani
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