ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Anonymous Erotic Photography Exhibition at Triennale Milano

exhibition · 2026-05-05

The Triennale Milano presents 'L'origine del mondo. Erotismo e seduzione nella photo trouvée', curated by Collezione Alidem, featuring 200 anonymous black-and-white photographs from Europe and the United States, dated between 1880 and the 1960s. The exhibition explores the origins of erotic photography, from daguerreotypes to the mass-produced Brownie camera, and includes images from private collections, brothels, and soldiers' 'French postcards'. The show traces the evolution of fetishism and the influence of anonymous snapshots on artists like Helmut Newton. The title references Gustave Courbet's 1866 painting 'L'origine du monde', itself inspired by a stereoscopic photograph by Auguste Belloc.

Key facts

  • Exhibition at Triennale Milano curated by Collezione Alidem
  • 200 anonymous black-and-white photographs from Europe and the United States
  • Dates range from 1880 to the 1960s
  • Includes works referencing Helmut Newton and Bettie Page
  • Gustave Courbet's 1866 painting 'L'origine du monde' was inspired by a stereoscopic photo by Auguste Belloc
  • The Brownie camera democratized photography, allowing private erotic snapshots
  • French postcards were carried by soldiers after World War I
  • The exhibition examines fetishism and the history of erotic imagery

Entities

Artists

  • Helmut Newton
  • Gustave Courbet
  • Auguste Belloc
  • Bettie Page
  • Charlotte Rampling

Institutions

  • Triennale Milano
  • Collezione Alidem

Locations

  • Milan
  • Italy
  • Europe
  • United States
  • France
  • Germany

Sources