SABBIONETA.- Palazzo Giardino, an extraordinary work of architecture within the walls of the UNESCO town of Sabbioneta (Mantua), is ready for the second major contemporary art exhibition organised by the Sabbioneta Heritage Foundation.
From Sunday 13 April to Sunday 23 November 2025, the Galleria degli Antichi and the Sala degli Specchi at Palazzo Giardino will be hosting 7 ½, a solo show by Juergen Teller, an iconic figure and irreverent innovator of contemporary fashion photography, and an artist with an unmistakable style.
After his retrospectives at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris (2023) and at the Milan Triennale (2024), Juergen Teller comes to Sabbioneta with an unprecedented and original exhibition project, curated by Mario Codognato. 7 ½ is Juergen Teller's most personal show to date, reconstructing the artistic journey he has developed in recent years. A time characterised by great creative renewal, with an inventive focus that expands from fashion to the historical events of both past and present, and, above all, by his professional and existential partnership with his wife Dovile Drizyte. The number inscribed in the title refers not only to the years in which the two have collaborated artistically but also to the time spent together on a daily basis, assuming the value of a private and intimate mysticism made public in the images on display. The instinctive matrix and personal participation with which Juergen Teller's shots accurately capture the spontaneity of the situations and characters portrayed offers visitors to the exhibition the chance to draw on a sort of private album generously made available by the artist.
A fast composition, an impartial and constant gaze, with no intention of concealing imperfection (and actually making it an element of interest), have always characterised Juergen Teller's photography. This is magnificently combined with what promises to be a site-specific exhibition project, the layout having been conceived specifically by the artist and Mario Codognato and designed by Federico Fedel to suit the exceptional horizontal perspective of the Galleria degli Antichi, one of the most extraordinary rooms in Europe at ninety-seven metres long, and the ceilings of the Sala degli Specchi, in an open exchange with the Renaissance architecture of Sabbioneta.
As the installation process itself forms an integral part of the exhibition, the bilingual (Italian/English) catalogue by Marsilio editore will be developed and published only after the opening.
To quote curator Mario Codognato: “Juergen Teller is undoubtedly one of the most important artists of his generation and one of the greatest innovators of photographic language, not only in the field of fashion, but of the entire creative application of this medium. The inclusion of the commonplace, the instantaneous freezing of every imaginable situation, have pre-empted the aesthetics of social media and clearly and inexorably influenced recent generations in the field of photography”.
Ezio Zani, Head of the Sabbioneta Heritage Foundation, notes that “the journey embarked upon by Sabbioneta last year is now enriched by the opportunity to host the work of another outstanding artist, free and visionary, who places man, shown in the multitude of his expressions, at the centre of his investigation and vision. A man immersed in history, in everyday life, captured with a piercing sincerity that eschews all lyrical construction and repudiates every attempt at affectation. By hosting Juergen Teller, with this very personal project, which features a layout that is sure to astound visitors, Sabbioneta confirms its vocation as a great and exclusive container and stage for the most accredited international art”.
“With the exhibition dedicated to Juergen Teller, one of the most influential and provocative photographers on the contemporary scene, Sabbioneta confirms its role not only as a treasure trove of Renaissance history and beauty, but also as a lively and vibrant stage for international culture” says Barbara Mazzali, Councillor for Tourism, Territorial Marketing, Fashion and Major Events of the Lombardy Region. “This world-class event is a valuable opportunity to further enhance the cultural identity of Sabbioneta, which, along with Mantua, is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and now also opens up with courage and vision to the languages of contemporary art. The interaction between Teller's genius and the architectural elegance of the Little Athens of the Gonzaga family creates a visual and emotional short-circuit that enriches the visitor experience and enhances the area's tourist appeal. Lombardy continues to invest in a cultural model capable of combining heritage protection, innovation and quality tourism. I would like to thank the Sabbioneta Foundation for its ability to imagine and implement projects that breathe new life into one of the symbolic places of our historical and aesthetic identity”.
Marco Pasquali, Mayor of Sabbioneta, says: “The path chosen by the Sabbioneta Heritage Foundation aims to confirm Sabbioneta as a place capable of merging ancient and modern, Renaissance and contemporary. With Juergen Teller, our Palazzo Giardino is going to offer the thousands of visitors who habitually choose the Ideal City of Sabbioneta, a unique experience made up of wonder and genius. Concepts that were very clear to the founder of our town, Vespasiano Gonzaga Colonna, and which are now brought back to life in the World Heritage Site that is Sabbioneta”.
Gianni Fava, Chairman of the Sabbioneta Heritage Foundation, draws attention to the added value that the exhibition brings to the territory: “We are proud to host Juergen Teller in Sabbioneta for this extraordinary exhibition, which aligns perfectly with our mission of enhancing historical heritage through the language of contemporary art. With his direct and uncompromising gaze, Juergen Teller brings a new and daring vision to spaces steeped in history: Palazzo Giardino, with the majesty of the Galleria degli Antichi and the elegance of the Sala degli Specchi, becomes the ideal stage for interaction between past and present, offering itself to visitors as a venue for an unprecedented and fascinating experience. This exhibition also represents an important opportunity for the territory, inviting institutions, residents and local organisations to come together, with confidence, and actively engage in a broad-ranging cultural project capable of generating value and new prospects for Sabbioneta. I would like to thank all those who have already chosen to embrace the challenge and also those who would like to join us”.
Juergen Teller (born in Erlangen, Germany, in 1964) studied at the Bayerische Staatslehranstalt für Photographie in Munich, before relocating to London in 1986. His work transcends photographic genres, combining fashion, advertising, biography and documentation in a sharp visual synthesis. He has shot campaigns for numerous luxury brands, as well as editorials for major art and fashion publications. In 2003, Juergen Teller received the Citibank Prize for Photography from the Photographers' Gallery in London and, in 2018, the Special Presentation Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography in New York. His work has been exhibited internationally, with solo shows at the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, Paris (2006), Dallas Contemporary, Texas (2011), the Daelim Museum, Seoul (2011), the Institute of Contemporary Art, London (2013), the DESTE Foundation, Athens (2014), the Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn (2016), Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin (2017), the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow (2018), T-10/SKP-S, Beijing (2021), Grand Palais Éphémère, Paris (2023) and Triennale Milan (2024). In 2007, he was invited to represent Ukraine as one of the five artists selected for the 52nd Venice Biennale. Teller's photographs have been acquired by numerous international collections, including the Musée du Louvre, Centre Pompidou and the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain in Paris, the International Center for Photography in New York and the National Portrait Gallery in London. Teller has published over 60 books and was Professor of Photography at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste Nürnberg from 2014 to 2019.
