David LaChapelle's solo exhibition in Bologna. More than 30 works on display, including one previously unseen

From Feb. 1 to March 15, 2025, Galleria Cavour 1959 in Bologna will host the exhibition Beyond the Real: David LaChapelle in Bologna, a solo show dedicated to one of the most visionary photographers and artists of our time-David LaChapelle. Curated by Deodato Arte in collaboration with Contemporary Concept, the exhibition proposes an immersive journey through David LaChapelle’s most emblematic works, exploring the multiple themes that characterize his work: from spiritual reflection to the analysis of social dynamics, from celebrity portraits to the relationship with fashion, and issues related to climate change. More than 30 works will be exhibited for the occasion, including one never before shown to the public.

The title Beyond the Real emphasizes LaChapelle’s ability to go beyond reality, transforming each image into a visionary universe. His works invite the viewer to explore symbolic, emotional and imaginative dimensions. The choice of location, Galleria Cavour 1959, is also significant: this rationalist building, built in the late 1960s, was designed with a futuristic and sustainable vision for the time. Located in the heart of Bologna, the space has been a meeting point of fashion, avant-garde and creativity for decades, hosting art exhibitions and cultural events.

The works in the exhibition

Through a selection of works, visitors will be guided through David LaChapelle’s visual universe, where photography, symbolism, and storytelling come together in an unmistakable artistic language. Prominent among the works on view are masterpieces such as After the Deluge: Cathedral and After the Deluge: Statue, which revisit biblical themes in a contemporary key, investigating the connection between man, nature and spirituality; Snow Day, a surreal portrait that captures the delicate beauty and vulnerability of nature; Jesus is Condemned to Death, a visually intense reinterpretation of the Stations of the Cross; Leonardo di Caprio, a pop portrait that mixes contemporary culture and social criticism; Earth Laughs in Flowers: Springtime, an homage to the cycle of life, inspired by Flemish still lifes; Collapse in a Garden, which invites deep reflection on the relationship between human beings and the environment. As in each of LaChapelle’s works, each photograph connects to a larger narrative, taking the audience on a journey that oscillates between dream and reality. The culmination of this expoositional journey will be represented by the work Tower of Babel (2024), presented to the public for the very first time in Bologna.

“The Tower of Babel was originally intended to get closer to God. But human beings have failed. Today we are faced with the Internet, people talking all day long, influencers, podcasts, politicians.... Everyone has an opinion and wants to shout it from the rooftops. Everyone is talking, but no one is listening,” says David LaChapelle about his new work. “Tower of Babel is a real work, made in the studio. We built the set and a model of the tower. The clouds were made of cotton and painted to harmonize with the background. The cityscape is a projection of Los Angeles. We blew up the tower so that it would crumble on the characters below. I carefully curated this scene with actors specifically chosen to reflect different cultures from all corners of the planet.”

“I am proud to host David LaChapelle’s extraordinary exhibition here in Galleria Cavour 1959,” says Paola Pizzighini Benelli, Sole Director of Magnolia Srl, which heads Galleria Cavour 1959, “a place that was born from an innovative architectural vision and that today is confirmed as a crossroads of culture, art and creativity. LaChapelle, with his unique ability to transform reality into dreamlike and evocative universes, perfectly complements the visionary soul of this space. Since its origins, Galleria Cavour 1959 has been conceived as an environment capable of connecting tradition and future, aesthetics and functionality, fashion and art. LaChapelle’s works dialogue with this legacy, amplifying its vocation to be a point of reference for the artistic avant-garde. This exhibition represents not only a major cultural event, but also an opportunity to continue to enhance the identity of Galleria Cavour 1959 as a meeting place for artistic and architectural visions that look beyond the present.”

The exhibition will have free admission. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday will be open by appointment. Closed on Mondays. During Artcity (Feb. 6, 7, 9), the exhibition will be open until 8 p.m., and on Saturday, Feb. 8, during Artcity White Night, until midnight.

David LaChapelle's solo exhibition in Bologna. More than 30 works on display, including one previously unseen

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