Milan, Juergen Teller's largest retrospective at the Triennale

The most extensive retrospective ever dedicated to Juergen Teller (Erlengen, 1964), the celebrated German fashion photographer: it is titled I need to live and is hosted from January 27 to April 1, 2024 at the Milan Triennale . The exhibition, curated by Thomas Weski in collaboration with Juergen Teller and Dovile Drizyte, was presented at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris from December 16, 2023 to January 9, 2024, and spans Teller’s entire creative output from the first half of the 1990s to the present. Juergen Teller is considered one of the leading names in an internationally renowned group of photographers who are highly regarded in both commercial photography and contemporary art. He is known worldwide for his candid portraits of celebrities, provocative fashion editorials, and original campaigns produced for various designers.

Since making his name in early 1990s London, Juergen Teller has also produced important personal works in which he explores himself, his family, his roots and his identity. For the past five years, he has collaborated with his wife Dovile Drizyte on joint projects that reflect various aspects of their relationship, marriage, and parenting. These works are defined by a characteristic mix of serious and intimate but often humorous characters created in a grotesque style.

I need to live, produced with the support of Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, features over 1000 works and brings together both personal and commissioned works, well-known images and from the new photographic series, as well as videos and installations. The selection of works is somewhat different from that of the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris. It is to all intents and purposes a new exhibition project designed for the spaces of Triennale Milano.

The title of the exhibition, “I Need to Live,” refers to Teller’s feelings about the existential incidents that have marked his life, sometimes tragically. The artist addresses these issues in the same way he practices photography, with a direct and realistic style that is entirely personal. With his unique images, Teller celebrates the importance of being alive while acknowledging the fragility of human existence.

The architectural design of the exhibition was entrusted to 6a architects, who designed the artist’s photography studio in West London, which was completed in 2016. Their specialized knowledge of Teller’s practice, gained through their previous collaboration, inspired the exhibition design by creating individual sections within the Triennale exhibition space. The installation allows visitors to appreciate the richness and variety of Teller’s practice through a unique visual experience.

Juergen Teller is the author of more than forty art books, produced in collaboration with Gerhard Steidl of Steidl Verlag in Göttingen over the past two decades. A wide selection of these volumes will be featured in the exhibition along with other publications, magazines and printed material, showing the cultural context in which Teller’s work is often presented for the first time.

On the occasion of the exhibition at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris and at Triennale Milano, Juergen Teller and Dovile Drizyte also produced the publication i need to live, edited by Steidl and with texts by Leïla Slimani, Anthony Vaccarello, Rick Owens, Roni Horn, Thomas Weski, Tom Emerson, and Alistair O’Neill. Four author books have been published in parallel: Juergen Teller, Fashion Photography for America 1999-2016; Juergen Teller, Jurgaičiai; Juergen Teller, More Handbags; and Juergen Teller, The Myth. All publications are available online and at the Triennale store.

Main Partner Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello and Institutional Partners Lavazza Group and Salone del Mobile.Milano are supporting Triennale Milano for this exhibition.

Stefano Boeri, President of Triennale Milano, says, “We are happy to present one of the largest exhibitions dedicated to Juergen Teller, a kaleidoscopic visual artist, capable of capturing and reshaping-sometimes in the same image-the most intimate drives, the most irreverent poses and instances of contemporaneity.”

The exhibition can be visited during the opening hours of the Milan Triennale: Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., last entry at 7 p.m. Full ticket 15 euros, reduced 12 euros, students 7.50 euros. One-day ticket to visit all Triennale Milano exhibitions: 25 euros.

Milan, Juergen Teller's largest retrospective at the Triennale

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