Phase One: 19 OCTOBER – 22 DECEMBER 2023
29 ARTS IN PROGRESS gallery is delighted to announce the exhibition entitled ‘MICHEL HADDI: BEYOND FASHION’, the first major solo show in Milan by French-Algerian photographer Michel Haddi.
The show will unfold over two consecutive exhibitions, the first from 19th October to 22nd December 2023 and the second from 16th January to 16th March 2024.
On display are the most exemplary images of a career spanning more than 40 years, part of an endless archive of famous faces, top models, icons and legends from the worlds of music and art. From Liza Minnelli to David Bowie, from Cameron Diaz to Jennifer Lopez and Angelina Jolie, including unexpected shots of Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista, Stephanie Seymour, Yasmin Le Bon, and Veruschka, to name but a few.
In the countless faces portrayed by Haddi, he has succeeded in capturing the spirit of his time through the celebrities who have populated the history of fashion, film and music.
His take is intimate, personal and unconventional, just like much of his career, which is a far cry from that of a classic fashion photographer: having survived a troubled childhood, during which he clung to his dream of becoming a photographer, Haddi has dedicated his life to illustrating some of the key players in the historical and cultural changes of the last Century with a rare ability to capture, and then successfully replicate, the deepest essence of his subjects.
The exhibition, which is divided up into two phases, will allow the public as well as collectors to grasp the essence of Haddi’s work in the most refined black and white pictures taken in his studio, as well as in his rather unusual shots packed with a street vibe and an urban soul but also with a sense of irony and sensuality that highlight the Artist’s multifaceted personality.
In order to pay tribute to such a vast line-up of photos, the second exhibition phase will present the public not only with nudes and unpublished shots, but also evocative, brightly- coloured pictures packed with Nineties tropical American atmospheres, often linked to certain emblematic advertising campaigns created by Haddi for international brands such as Versace, Chanel, Armani and Yves Saint-Laurent.
Haddi, which literally translates from the Semitic language as ‘the one who sees’, has succeeded in the difficult task of seeing, precisely, the true nature of the subjects who posed for him in front of his lens – actors, models or ordinary people – and to replicate their image, at times ironically and at other profoundly: all his photographs have a story to tell because they are authentic pictures, which play with the most common human emotions and, precisely for this reason, become indelible.
The two exhibition phases will be animated by live events featuring Michel Haddi designed to encourage the public from the city of Milan to interact and liaise with the Artist in person.
Updates on details and how to participate will follow.
The first phase of the exhibition will open to the public on Thursday, 19th October 2023 at the gallery in Via San Vittore 13 in Milan.
