Franco Fontana. Retrospective

The first major monographic exhibition on Franco Fontana awaits you with over 200 photographs to narrate the universe of the photographer from Modena, who marked the history of photography and accompanied contemporary art, revolutionising the language of colour photography.

Hosted in the spaces of the Ara Pacis Museum, Franco Fontana. Retrospective is curated by Jean-Luc Monterosso, world-renowned curator, founder and director of the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris. Monterosso guides us to discover Fontana's creative universe, revealing previously unseen aspects, tracing his artistic evolution and highlighting his ability to transform reality into pure visual poetry.

The images, exhibited in the Museum's immersive spaces, among special installations and videos, offer endless optical possibilities: bold alternating shots, shallow depth of field and overhead shots give us the chance to admire abstract and minimalist images characterised by a juxtaposition of bright colours and strong contrasts, elements that made Fontana a forerunner in a black and white photographic world.

The recurring themes of the photographs – skylines, landscapes and urban architecture – make any chronological identification impossible, because Fontana is always revolutionising his technique: from slide to Polaroid to digital, he constantly follows innovations and continuously experiments.

The exhibition path

The exhibition opens with a wide-angle view of Prague, used as the cover of Time Life magazine and the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine, and a portrait of Franco Fontana by Giovanni Gastel. A number of shots of natural and urban landscapes, characterised by a bursting geometry and essential elements, are introduced by images that emphasise the colour white, such as Urbano 1960, guiding us towards representative works of colour photography from 1960-1970. Marking Fontata's career and his artistic production is the publication in 1978 of the volume Skyline, where chromatic contrasts and vivid colours define a new approach to landscape. Space is also given to a collection of vintage photographs depicting various subjects such as urban landscapes, fragments, asphalt, cars, and a nude, NUDO 1969.

In the other sections:

• a series of shots of natural landscapes captured in the various shades of the four seasons;
• photographs-studios on shadows, characterised, like the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana in EUR, by a metaphysical atmosphere;
• the art of photography in aquatic spaces, an opportunity to exalt the beauty of the female form, in a vibrant eulogy of curves immersed in the pool;
• an incursion into the private life of the master through a reproduction of his studio and the confusing ensemble of materials that characterises it, in stark contrast to the minimalism and essentiality of his photographs, with a video interview to the photographer;
• Fontana's deeply personal hyper-realist works, in contrast to Street Photography trends, a series of shots from the series Luce Americana and Frammenti;
• an area dedicated to the exhibition of rare Polaroids and Polaroid transfers used as ‘visual notes’ during the various reportages in which eroticism reaches its maximum expression;
• an interesting video dedicated to the theme of colour;
• a number of shots of urban landscapes, including works made in Los Angeles since 1979;
• several works dedicated to the motorway, asphalt, and cars made ‘in motion’, as he loves to do during his travels;
• shots of cars that fascinate the maestro so much for their shape and design, a wonderful video-installation of five photographs, Modena 1978, and a video-book dedicated to the three roads par excellence: Route 66, the road to Compostela and the Appian Way, the road that allows him not only to rediscover the familiar landscapes that have characterised his work, but also to strengthen the maestro's bond with the city of Rome and the heritage of our civilisation.

The last section of the exhibition includes photographs and video-books devoted to fashion, numerous advertisements and private commissions.

Franco Fontana. Retrospective finally presents personal photographs, vinyls and other objects from the artist's private life, ending with colourful images from the most recent Sportmax advertising campaign of 2020.

The exhibition is accessible thanks to the Biblioteca Astratta project, a symbolic place where each of Franco Fontana's shots becomes a tactile silent book and an accessibility device that can be leafed through, dismantled and reassembled to accompany everyone, sighted and blind alike. Audio descriptions and LIS videos are also available to accompany visitors with visual and hearing disabilities through the exhibition.

The exhibition is promoted by Roma Capitale, Assessorato alla Cultura, Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali with the organisation of Civita Mostre e Musei, Zètema Progetto Cultura and Franco Fontana Studio.

Cover photo: Piscina, 1983 © Franco Fontana