Oliviero Toscani's New Show at Galleria Lampo Turns Excrement into Art

Photographer Oliviero Toscani (Milan, 1942) presents CACAS – Non è tutto oro quel che luccica at Galleria Lampo in the redeveloped ex-scalo Farini space in Milan, from February 21 to March 24, 2024. The exhibition, curated by Nicolas Ballario, features photographs of human and animal excrement (chimpanzee, cow, giraffe, hyena, pig, lion, duck, goldfish, python, buffalo, tiger, cricket) created in 1998 for COLORS magazine, never before exhibited. Toscani states: "Feces is the only thing humans do without copying others; nothing is more personal and each time it's a work of art." Ballario explains the title subverts the Italian proverb "not all that glitters is gold," showing art can make even feces fascinating. Sponsor Sebach, an Italian leader in mobile sanitary solutions, designed the exhibition setup; Toscani previously rebranded Sebach in 2006 with its iconic upside-down heart. Toscani has worked for Fiorucci, Toyota, Italian Ministries, Artemide, Red Cross, Fondazione Umberto Veronesi, and publications like Elle, Vogue, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Esquire, Stern, Liberation, L'Espresso. He created United Colors of Benetton's image, founded COLORS and Fabrica research center, and La Sterpaia lab. Awards include four Golden Lions at Cannes, two Grand Prix d'Affichage, UNESCO Grand Prix, Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Hero, and numerous Art Directors Club prizes.