“Portraits. The Florence and Damien Bachelot Collection” is the exciting new photography exhibition coming to the National Museum of the Risorgimento Italian in Turin, from July 11th to October 5th, 2025.
This exhibition embarks on a journey exploring the evolution of photographic portraiture, from masters like Lewis Hine to contemporary artists such as Nan Goldin. Promoted by Imago Mundi Cultural Association and curated by Tiziana Bonomo, it offers a profound look at humanity across myths, contemporaneity, and emotions through the lens of the deeply humanist Bachelot Collection.
The exhibition showcases approximately 90 original portraits, selected from one of the most significant private collections in France and Europe.
A constellation of gazes from the 20th century to the present day is presented through the works of notable photographers including Lewis Hine, Arnold Newman, Irving Penn, Dorothea Lange, Saul Leiter, Nan Goldin, Ann Ray, Mohamed Bourouissa, and Gilles Caron.
In natural harmony with the National Museum of the Risorgimento Italian, a gallery dedicated to the protagonists of Italian history, the exhibition also features a video showcasing the museum's own rich photographic heritage of 17,000 documents. Among the figures of the Risorgimento, striking portraits emerge, such as those of the Countess of Castiglione, who in the 19th century was among the first to skillfully use photography to promote her own allure.
Portraiture connects us, challenges us, and invites us into dialogue, sparking new moments through the simple contemplation of what these images can evoke and generate within us. The exhibition is organized into four thematic highlights: Myths, Emotions, Society, and Contemporaneity . And it is precisely in this personal summer time, that “Portraits. The Florence and Damien Bachelot Collection” offers an opportunity to rediscover the gaze of others as a mirror of who we are.
The exhibition has been made possible by the invaluable contribution of the Main Sponsor Bank of Alba, with the support of the Regional Council of Piedmont and, of Deloitte Foundation, the patronage of City of Turin, The Metropolitan City of Turin, The Chamber of Commerce of Turin, The French institute, The Alliance Française, and in collaboration with the Bachelot Collection, The Saul Leiter Foundationand ArtPhoto. Graphic design and exhibition display have been designed by WoWstudio.
Saul LEITER – Lanesville, 1958 Chromogenic print © Courtesy Saul Leiter Foundation
