Various iconic shots of athletes, which date from 1985 to the present day, are being showcased throughout the entire ground floor of Armani/Silos in Milan.
Giorgio Armani himself has curated the exhibition Emotions of the Athletic Body, which boasts a selection of thought-provoking photographs taken from an extraordinary collection he has personally commissioned over the years.
Each image is printed onto giant slabs with a concrete finish to echo the space’s aesthetic and building’s architecture, while floors are smothered in the royal-red material used for running tracks.
Sport has always been a passion for Armani and throughout the years he has invited many of the world’s greatest athletes to wear his clothes in front of the camera. “I believe it represents the qualities that improve us as people: dedication, sacrifice, perseverance and willpower. It is beneficial for the body and spirit alike, as it shows that there is no success without dedication.”
He continues, ‘In fact, since ancient times sport has been a byword for top physical prowess and spectacular athletic performance. This photographic exhibition aims to highlight sporting endeavour combined with its aesthetic quality – a combination that has always been a part of my design vocabulary and an inspiration for my life philosophy.”
A huge life-size sculpture of an athlete balancing on a globe has pride of place in the central atrium, alongside previously unseen pictures by self-taught American shutterbug Kurt Markus, as well as world-renowned photographer Weston Markus.
Emotions of the Athletic Body also forms the backdrop to the fourth in the Armani/Silos Film Series, which will showcase a selection of sports movies this month.
Emotions of the Athletic Body is open at the Armani/Silos Museum from 23rd September to 27th November 2016
