Made in collaboration with the National Cinema Museum, among the most important in the world for the richness of its collections, variety of activities and scenographic installation in the Mole Antonelliana, symbol of Turin, The exhibition celebrates the Museum's 25th anniversary and the dialogue between cinema and architecture. Riccardo Ghilardi and Domenico De Gaetano have constructed a photographic journey that, like a single sequence shot, traverses the history of cinema from its origins to the present, the Mole Antonelliana, and the Museum's collections, involving some of the most important figures in national and international cinema. Actors and directors have personally reinterpreted the Museum's scenic spaces, including those usually inaccessible to the public or particularly complex, such as the exterior of the great dome. The Mole Antonelliana thus becomes an extraordinary set, a place where dreams become reality, just as they do in cinema.
The artists photographed by Ghilardi, in alphabetical order
Mathieu Amalric, Artem, Bérénice Bejo, Monica Bellucci, Barbara Bouchet, Tim Burton, Massimiliano Caiazzo, Damien Chazelle, Matilda De Angelis, Tonino De Bernardi, Willem Dafoe, Silvia D'Amico, Xavier Dolan, Rupert Everett, Asghar Farhadi, Isabella Ferrari, Alessandro Gassmann, Giancarlo Giannini, Peter Greenaway, Michel Hazanavicius, Ron Howard, Pablo Larraín, Luca Marinelli, Malcolm McDowell, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Paola Minaccioni, Terry Notary, Ruben Östlund, Domenico Procacci, Barbara Ronchi, Rosa Diletta Rossi, Zoe Saldana, Greta Scarano, Paul Schrader, Martin Scorsese, Kasia Smutniak, Kevin Spacey, Sharon Stone, Vince Vaughn, Carlo Verdone.
The exhibition presents 42 photographic works created by Riccardo Ghilardi
Sixteen of these include exclusive multimedia content, accessible via QR Code and the Gallerie d'Italia app: behind-the-scenes clips from the shoot and short statements from the artists involved. The captions for each photograph also include the original museum materials used during production, highlighting the strong connection between the project and the collections of the National Cinema Museum. The images offer different levels of interpretation: each participant interpreted the experience in their own personal way, and each photograph tells a distinct story. Some are portrayed in everyday moments, as if the Mole Antonelliana were their home; others have chosen to stage fantasies and desires, even dancing on the dome; many have immersed themselves in the Museum's collections, leafing through screenplays or playing with magic lanterns; still others have chosen to engage with the museum's displays. Some images explicitly recall masterpieces from the history of cinema—from Mary Poppins a Rome city open, Arancia meccanica a Red shoes – while others seem like stills from films yet to be imagined. Taken together, the works convey the impression of a single, great film dedicated to cinema, the Mole Antonelliana, and the city of Turin. A particularly prominent role is played by Giovanna Mezzogiorno, who plays Maria Adriana Prolo, founder of the National Cinema Museum, and lends her voice and presence to the backstage documentary screened within the exhibition.
The volume THE TEMPLE OF CINEMA
The entire photographic and narrative project is collected in the volume THE TEMPLE OF CINEMA, published by Allemandi and edited by Carlo Chatrian, director of the National Cinema Museum, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Museum at the Mole Antonelliana. The book serves as a "hinge" between the two souls that make up the institution: the Mole Antonelliana and the Museum with its collections, in dialogue with the city that hosts it. For the duration of the exhibition, visitors will enjoy reciprocal discounts between the National Cinema Museum and Gallerie d'Italia – Turin.
Michael Coppola, Executive Director of Art, Culture and Historic Heritage Intesa Sanpaolo. states: “Gallerie d'Italia is celebrating the National Cinema Museum's anniversary, paying homage to one of the most emblematic institutions of Turin and Italy. Ghilardi's captivating shots speak to the strong connection between the city, cinema, and photography, in a captivating narrative enriched by the book published by Allemandi. This initiative further demonstrates how Turin's new image is deeply intertwined with art and culture.
Notes on the author
Richard GhilardiBorn in Rome in 1971. In 2007 he participated in the FotoLeggendo International Group Exhibition in Rome, presenting “Pensieri nel silenzio”, a photographic reportage on the experiences of an operational team of the Fire Brigade, in which Ghilardi had served for several years. In 2008 his artistic work extended to the world of cinema. On the occasion of the III Edition of the Rome International Film Festival, held at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, he presented “Lo sguardo non mente. The whole truth in 1/125 of a second through the eyes of Italian cinema”; the project was subsequently exhibited: At the Petruzzelli Theatre in Bari (2010), during the BiFest (Bari International Film Festival). At the Palazzo di Città in Cagliari (2011). At the Venice Film Biennale (Ca Zanardi), as an official event of the 68th Venice International Film Festival. PAN Museum in Naples (2012). In 2013, she presented "Donne in Luce" at the Casa del Cinema in Rome, featuring portraits of fifty Italian actresses photographed in the abandoned spaces of the old Istituto Luce and the Centro Sperimentale per la Cinematografia. In 2018, she presented "Three Minutes," a photographic collection of artist portraits taken at the world's most important film festivals, curated by Vincenzo Mollica, as the official exhibition of the 13th Rome Film Fest, in collaboration with Rai Cinema and Istituto Luce Cinecittà. The photography volume Three Minutes, published by Skira, won the Gold Award at the PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris in 2020. In 2021, she presented "Prove di Libertà," a narrative of the first lockdown (caused by the 2020 pandemic). This reportage on the city of Rome "Sospesa" (Suspended) features portraits of Italian cinema's protagonists in everyday situations during isolation. The project, produced by Istituto Luce Cinecittà with the support of MIC Direzione Generale CINEMA e AUDIOVISIVO and Rai Cinema (Cultural Partner), was presented in May at the MAXXI National Museum of 21st Century Arts as a photography exhibition together with the volume “Prove di Libertà” published by Skirà, which won the Bronze Award at the PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris in 2022. It was subsequently exhibited at the Italian Audiovisual and Cinema Museum in Cinecittà, until arriving in Venice as an official exhibition of the 78th Venice International Film Festival - La Biennale di Venezia. In August 2011, Ghilardi joined the team of portrait photographers at the international agency Contour by Getty Images, based in New York.
The National Cinema Museum ticket grants free admission to the exhibition at the Gallerie d'Italia – Turin; the Gallerie d'Italia – Turin ticket also includes a reduced ticket to the National Cinema Museum, a testament to the collaboration between the two institutions.
