‘Untold Stories’ is a retrospective of Peter Lindbergh’s artistic vision. Nicholas Sirot, Together’s Fashion Editor, visited the exhibition that pays homage to his work. With only five days left to visit, we highly recommend taking a chance to visit the
‘Untold Stories’ is a retrospective that recognizes Peter Lindbergh’s artistic vision. For three years, Lindbergh researched, assembled and edited images curating his own work, revealing the artist and his art.
“Lindbergh, captured – with humanity – the fragility and the strength of his subjects”
Lindbergh, captured with humanity, the fragility and the strength of his subjects. He collaborated with the flagship magazines of the day, in particular Vogue, where he immortalized some of the most well-known faces of the time: Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Helena Christensen. Lindbergh celebrated raw natural beauty and preferred makeup-free models.
Lindbergh was the first photographer to include a narrative in his fashion series and his storytelling introduced a new vision on fashion photography. His work is best-known for his singular and revealing portraits, infused with strong influences from early German cinema and the industrial surroundings of his childhood spent in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia.
In September 2019, Peter Lindbergh put down his camera for the last time, but the power of his almost cinematic work lives on. Before his death, Peter Lindbergh created a foundation with the mission of preserving his work. Since then, the Peter Lindbergh Foundation has continued to publicize and promote his photographic heritage, in particular through this exhibition, initially developed in collaboration with the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf.
“Peter’s stance on fashion photography thoroughly manifests itself in the body of work displayed at the Espace Vanderborght,” says Peter’s son and President of the Foundation, Benjamin Lindbergh. “This emotional and contemporary installation, curated by Peter Lindbergh himself, acts as an intuitive self-portrait. it is an immersive – sometimes enigmatic, testimony of who he was, but foremost of what he invariably stood for. My father’s images relentlessly put women at the front by shining a light on their subject’s soul, emotions and experiences.”
“My father’s images relentlessly put women at the front by shining a light on their soul, emotions and experiences”
The exhibition reveals more than 150 works that create a dialogue between the images. It is a monumental and immersive experience that combines unknown images with the artist’s most iconic shots. Lindbergh elevated fashion photography to the rank of art, the deep humanity of these photographs invest them with a timeless quality.
“Topics that were of central importance to Lindbergh: identity, introspection and empathy”
Testament
‘Testament’ (Florida, 2013), shown for the first time, presents a lesser-known aspect of Lindbergh’s work. through a one-way mirror, the artist filmed Elmer Carroll, a death row inmate convicted for murder. A silent conversation takes place between him, Lindbergh’s camera and the viewer. Lindbergh portrays the image of the prisoner in a completely neutral manner, without providing details of his criminal offences. ‘Testament’ opens up a debate on topics that were of central importance to Lindbergh: identity, introspection and empathy.
Until May 14, 2023 at Espace Vanderborght
www.peterlindbergh-brussels.com
