The opening of the Irving Penn exhibition at the Palazzo Grassi on April 12th was an event, or more precisely a sequence of events. The first was the discovery, in this space normally dedicated to contemporary art, of the ambition, high standards and scope of François Pinault’s collection of photography. The second was how this exhibition allows visitors to see an extraordinary collection of Irving Penn’s work. It was a shock.
Everyone knows that nothing can replace an original print, which is all the more true for works made familiar by books and magazines. Nevertheless, we were glad to rediscover them. They demonstrate Penn’s high standards in the darkroom and they’re breathtakingly beautiful. We realize that when the quality of a print isn’t at its highest level, we cannot fully understand what the artist wanted to achieve with the photograph.
It was remarkable how, in the sophisticated and social setting of a gallery opening, there was also a rare touch of emotion and passion. The guests spent a long time standing before the photographs, taking a few steps back to get a different perspective. Many specialists and demanding amateurs were present, but they were visibly (and fortunately for them) not jaded.
Last but not least of the events, the exhibition curators: Pierre Apraxine and Matthieu Humery’s layout is intelligent and sensitive, a subtle combination of work and setting. Penn’s photographs are displayed like a game of tarot cards in the alternately bright and dim rooms surrounding the central patio. The series, portraits, “small trades,” still lifes, fashion, etc., are respected but sometimes brought close together or challenged, and the viewer understands that, regardless of subject, it’s the same vision of men and objects at work.
The central room of the exhibition offers a sumptuous kaleidoscope of all different subjects. It’s a very convincing demonstration. The large room, bathed in a soft Venetian light, is the centerpiece of the exhibition, the place where all visitors return after a first visit. As the sun set on Saturday, it was there that the curators, the specialists from Christie’s, the former Ministers of Culture, the collectors, the artists and guests invited by the foundation stood chatting with each other.
True photo lovers must go see this exhibition, because in a few years, if you want to be taken seriously when talking with connoisseurs, you’d better have seen it.
Sylvie Aubenas
