Spotlight on Ugo Mulas’ Photography at Palazzo Reale

Experience Over 250 Images Showcasing Ugo Mulas’ Mastery at Palazzo Reale

December 18, 2024, Photography Exhibition – Milan

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Running until February 2, 2025, Palazzo Reale presents Ugo Mulas: The Photographic Operation. Over 250 images, many of which have never been exhibited before, along with precious vintage shots, documents, books, and films, retrace the entire production of Ugo Mulas. Curated by Denis Curti and Alberto Salvadori, this landmark retrospective celebrates one of Italy’s most influential photographers, offering a profound exploration of Milan through his lens.

The exhibition reveals the depth and diversity of Mulas’s oeuvre. His career, spanning the 1950s to the early 1970s, is presented through a thematic journey that encompasses his documentation of post-war Milan, iconic portraits of intellectuals and artists, and groundbreaking experiments in photographic language. His images bridge the realms of documentation and artistic interpretation, embodying what Germano Celant described as “total photography.”

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Capturing Milan’s Spirit

Mulas’s deep connection with Milan forms the narrative core of the exhibition. His early work highlights the city’s gritty post-war reality, capturing its suburbs, council houses, and the lives of migrants arriving at Central Station. Through his lens, the bustling streets of Brera come alive as hubs of cultural energy, epitomized by Bar Jamaica, a gathering spot for artists and intellectuals.

“The photographer has the task of identifying his own reality,” Mulas once said. This ethos is evident in his ability to merge documentation with critical interpretation, offering a unique view of Milan as both a historical and cultural nexus.

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A Journey Through Artistic Collaboration

Mulas’s collaborations with international artists are another highlight of the retrospective. His portraits include luminaries such as Andy Warhol, Marcel Duchamp, and Jasper Johns, reflecting his immersion in the New York Pop Art scene during the 1960s. Despite language barriers, Mulas captured the vibrancy of their studios, showcasing the creative process alongside the finished works. His famous Thanksgiving Day photograph in Robert Rauschenberg’s studio (1965) exemplifies his knack for contextualizing art within its environment.

This focus on the act of creation, rather than just the artwork itself, is also evident in series like L’attesa (1964). Here, Mulas captures Lucio Fontana moments before his iconic cut on the canvas, emphasizing the anticipation and tension of the creative act.

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A Multifaceted Legacy

The exhibition also delves into Mulas’s forays into fashion, design, and architecture. Portraits of figures like Gio Ponti and Gae Aulenti highlight his versatility and ability to capture the essence of diverse disciplines. Whether photographing Maria Callas‘s intense expressions or the intimate moments of writers like Eugenio Montale, Mulas brought an empathetic lens to every subject.

A dedicated section features his seminal project Verifiche (1968–1972), a conceptual series exploring photography as a medium. Through contact sheets and sequences, visitors gain insight into Mulas’s meticulous process and his quest to push the boundaries of visual storytelling.

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Ugo Mulas – L’operazione Fotografica is a dialogue between past and present. By revisiting Mulas’s works, viewers are invited to reflect on the evolving relationship between art, society, and the individual. For those passionate about photography and cultural history, this exhibition is a must-see, offering a rare glimpse into the profound legacy of Ugo Mulas.

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