Sabbioneta is a small UNESCO World Heritage city in the province of Mantua that is preparing to host Juergen Teller’s latest exhibition in the evocative setting of Palazzo Giardino. According to Teller, this will be one of his most personal and intimate projects to date, without neglecting more overtly political themes. Already last year, with i need to live—first at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris and then at Triennale Milano—Teller managed to tell his story like never before, with a solo show rich in both professional and personal material.
But what do we know about this new project? And what can we expect from the next Italian endeavor of the photographer who revolutionized the way we perceive contemporary photography? After the press conference held at the Palazzo della Regione Lombardia in Milan, we met the photographer and asked him a few questions.
What We Know About the Exhibition
7 1/2 will open to the public on April 13. While we still know little about the actual setup, the exhibition appears to trace an artistic journey developed by Teller in recent years—a period marked by creative renewal thanks to his professional and personal partnership with Dovile Drizyte, the photographer’s wife. In fact, the title itself refers both to the years spent together with her and to the time the couple shares every day.
The intimacy that permeates this project fits perfectly with the site-specific exhibition design envisioned by both the artist and curator Mario Codognato. Teller’s photographs will thus enter into dialogue with one of the most fascinating rooms in Europe: the 97-meter-long Galleria degli Antichi and the ornate ceilings of the Sala degli Specchi. It’s certainly an unusual meeting—Teller’s raw, direct photography contrasted with the Renaissance architecture of Sabbioneta.
A Conversation with Juergen Teller
As Mario Codognato states in the press release accompanying the exhibition, «Juergen Teller is without a doubt one of the most important artists of his generation and one of the greatest innovators in photographic language—not only in fashion, but in the entire creative application of this medium». His aesthetic has anticipated the visual language of social media and has pervasively influenced a new generation of photographers. Our conversation with Teller begins exactly on this note.
How does it feel to be so consistently copied?
J.T.: «Let’s put it this way—I’m used to it. And it’s been going on for many years. Whether it’s the photographs themselves or what I do with them—like the layout and everything else. That’s just how it is. And I suppose it’s a form of compliment, even though it can be extremely annoying at times. When people copy me, I’ve already moved on to something else, working on something new, feeling like no one can catch up to me».
What was the most difficult part of this project in Sabbioneta?
J.T.: «The hardest part of the project was coming up with an intelligent way to display the work—figuring out how to exhibit it in this fabulous space so that both the gallery and my work could breathe. Instead of barging in like an elephant and hanging my photos without considering the rooms of Palazzo Giardino that were chosen for the show. Once I found the concept, it was genuinely exciting and fun to develop».
Is there something you’re looking forward to in the near future?
J.T.: «I had an idea almost a year ago. It’s a project I’ve long wanted to do with my wife, but for many reasons we’ve never managed to make it happen. The timing now feels much closer, since we’re planning to finally take the time to bring it to life».
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