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Bold, Visionary, Provocative
Bold, Visionary, Provocative
February 23, 2026
Helmut Newton: Heather looking through a keyhole, Paris 1994
© Helmut Newton Foundation
The exhibition highlights Newton’s visionary collaborations with famous brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Lavazze, or Blumarine. Organised by the Fondazione Artea and curated by Matthias Harder, Director of the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin, the showcase takes viewers on a fascinating journey through the bold, visionary and provocative oeuvre of one of the most influential fashion photographers of the twentieth century. At a time when the industry was constructing the image of postwar femininity, Newton revolutionised fashion photography with his distinctive style, creating a powerful and theatrical visual language.
The title of the exhibition, Intrecci (Interweavings), references both the unique venue, and the interconnecting threads running through Newton’s career. The setting – a historic silk mill – becomes an integral part of the presentation: Intrecci brings together biographical strands, professional partnerships and visual concepts spanning from the artist’s early work for the German textile company Nino-Moden in the 1960s, to international collaborations that transformed fashion photography into a space for radical creative experimentation.
More than 100 exhibits are on display, including numerous unknown works. In terms of compositional approaches and visual style, Newton made no distinction between his magazine work and commercial assignments; as for his own role, the photographer humorously described himself as a “gun for hire”.
Katrin UllmannThe title of the exhibition, Intrecci (Interweavings), references both the unique venue, and the interconnecting threads running through Newton’s career. The setting – a historic silk mill – becomes an integral part of the presentation: Intrecci brings together biographical strands, professional partnerships and visual concepts spanning from the artist’s early work for the German textile company Nino-Moden in the 1960s, to international collaborations that transformed fashion photography into a space for radical creative experimentation.
More than 100 exhibits are on display, including numerous unknown works. In terms of compositional approaches and visual style, Newton made no distinction between his magazine work and commercial assignments; as for his own role, the photographer humorously described himself as a “gun for hire”.
Helmut Newton: Heather looking through a keyhole, Paris 1994
© Helmut Newton Foundation
Helmut Newton: Mansfield British Vogue, London 1967
© Helmut Newton Foundation
Helmut Newton: Yves Saint Laurent, Paris 1992
© Helmut Newton Foundation
Helmut Newton: Monica Bellucci, Blumarine, Monaco 1992
© Helmut Newton Foundation