Mario Testino – Unfiltered

Una grande mostra in Italia del leggendario fotografo, con opere esclusive mai esposte prima in una galleria.

Comunicato stampa

A world exclusive and for the first time in Italy, 29 ARTS IN PROGRESS gallery is proud to present
“Mario Testino: Unfiltered”, the first major exhibition of this celebrated artist and photographer’s
work never shown before in a gallery.
The show will take place in two consecutive exhibitions in Milan, the first from 1st of
October – 27th of November and the second from 2nd of December 2021 – 28th of
February 2022.
Alongside his rarest and most iconic large format photographs, the Milanese gallery will also
present an exclusive and unpublished body of work available in new formats and editions,
thereby revealing a lesser known, more spontaneous and personal side of the artist’s oeuvre.
“Shooting images continuously and for many years, it’s nice to sometimes stop and self-reflect, to
examine that which others see and take from my photographs.” – Mario Testino
The ambitious exhibition will bring to the attention of Italian and International collectors more
than 50 artworks carefully selected by the gallery owners and Mario Testino. The exhibition
will include not only the photographer’s most beloved muses, in both iconic and previously
unpublished shots, but it will also demonstrate the photographer’s vast creativity, as much in
fashion as in his most intimate portraits, brought together in an ode to Italy. The exhibition, in
fact, will include a selection of works from the recent publication Ciao (Taschen, 2020), a book
dedicated to the artist’s love affair with Italy.
“Discovering Italy was a powerful experience that has captured my imagination. I felt a
profound connection with everything I saw around me. I loved the people, the landscape,
the architecture, and how art and beauty were such a casual, natural part of life.”
– Mario Testino.
Part two of the exhibition will contain a body of never before seen work, intimate portraits,
authentic snapshots of an artist’s life lived to the fullest, alongside a few of the faces that have
left an indelible mark on his extraordinary career.
“Working with Mario Testino and his team has been a great pleasure and honour for us” say
Eugenio Calini and Luca Casulli, owners of 29 ARTS IN PROGRESS gallery. “It’s wonderful
to have the chance to get know the more authentic side of an artist of such talent and above
all observe the great trust he has placed in us, a trust which is at the heart of any successful
relationship.”
The exhibition “Mario Testino: Unfiltered” will open to the public on the 1st of October 2021 at
the gallery in Via San Vittore 13, Milan.
Mario Testino
Widely regarded as one of the most influential fashion and portrait photographers, Mario
Testino is responsible for the creation of emblematic images, transmitting emotion and energy
in an open and intimate way, transgressing cultures and gender to document all people of the
world. Testino’s work has been exhibited in museums around the world, including the Helmut
Newton Foundation in Berlin (Undressed, 2017), the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (In Your Face,
2012), the Shanghai Art Museum (Private View, 2012) and the National Portrait Gallery in
London (Portraits, 2002).
Continuing his discerning vision of the world, Testino’s most recent body of work is an artistic
exploration of cultural identity, part of a wider project to highlight diverse beauty. As he travels
the world, Testino reveals what makes traditional culture in each country special, challenging us
to find a more sustainable balance between growth and preservation of cultural heritage.
More than 17 books of his photography have been published, including Ciao, Kate Moss by
Mario Testino, Sir, Alta Moda and Fina Estampa.
Alongside his 40-year practice as a photographer, Testino has realised a body of work as a
creative director, guest editor, art collector, philanthropist and museum founder contributing
to his homeland of Peru through the cultivation and promotion of South American culture and
heritage.
In recognition for his contribution not only to photography but also of the support he gives to
many charitable causes, Testino was awarded the Legion of Honour of France in 2017, the
Order of the British Empire in 2013, and the Grand Cross Order of Merit in Peru, in 2010. In
October 2016, Testino opened the first Parques Teresita playpark in association with the Naked
Heart Foundation. The recreational parks are located in underprivileged areas and provide
children with safe spaces for play and family integration that stimulate them as a part of their
healthy development.
29 ARTS IN PROGRESS gallery
29 ARTS IN PROGRESS is a leading art photography gallery located in the historic area of
Sant’Ambrogio, Milan.
The gallery represents the work of internationally renowned photographers, with a focus
on portraiture and fashion photography. Since its inception, the gallery has curated
exhibitions in partnership with public and private museums including: V&A Museum,
London; Hong Kong Arts Centre; Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow; Erarta Museum of
Contemporary Art, Saint Petersburg; Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Pirelli and Triennale in Milan;
Museum of Cultures in Lugano, and Nicola Erni Collection in Steinhausen, Switzerland.