In about 10 years, Nicola Erni has built up a unique collection on the 1960s, a vibrant era where European aristocracy mingled with painters, actors, photographers, musicians, writers, royalty and politician in places that have become mythical: Rome, Paris, London, St. Moritz, St. Tropez…

Her goal was to show a living vision of this epoch filled with joy and passion, with the choice fixed on essential photographers: Richard Avedon, Jean-Loup Sieff, David Bailey and Robert Mapplethorpe, as well as other “mundane” photographers or photojournalists as Ron Galella, Benno Graziani and Edward Quinn. She made an effort to meet the photographers personally before acquiring their pictures, as she wanted them to pass on their vision of the particular atmosphere of that time. And for this, she has allowed herself to be lead by her instinct in order to build this collection that today has more than 1,000 prints, and continues to grow.

The 300 prints displayed in Düsseldorf reinvent the jet-set through a condensed “glamour”, this evanescent mix of youth, beauty, money, seduction, glory, excess, extravagance, provocation and most of all, talent.

Valérie-Anne Giscard d’Estaing
Galerie Photo12

Until May 15
NRW Forum
Ehrenhof 2
40479 Düsseldorf

Zeitgleist und Glamour ; photography of the 60s and 70s.
368 pages. Prestel. Février 2011.