A complete change of scenery for this new temporary exhibition at the Grimaldi Forum. After the darkness imposed by the lighting design showcasing the magnificent pieces of the Baccarat collection, it’s now time for brightness and color with this double exhibition on Willy Rizzo, giving us the sensation of entering into the “loft” of this exceptionally talented Neapolitan.
He might not have had his career as a photographer if his mother hadn’t gifted him an “Agfa Box” camera at the age of 12, which he used to fuel his passion for photography by starting with portraits of his classmates at the Italian high school on Rue de Sedillot in Paris. Thus, he became one of the renowned photographers who were 20 years old during the Occupation. In 1944, he bought his first Rolleiflex on the black market, a mythical device for all aesthetes and purists. Riding his bicycle, he toured the movie studios in the Paris region, photographing celebrities and future stars. A few years later, he ended up covering the famous Nuremberg trials but did not at all enjoy being in a crowd of photographers taking the same shot.
He yearned to be different. His defining moment came during a reportage in Tunisia where he photographed burnt-out tanks on the battlefields at dusk—to capture a different, low light—producing a sensational result that garnered attention from the prestigious Life Magazine. After the war, he was hired by France Dimanche, and he covered the first Cannes Film Festival without any expense spared! An impressive accomplishment that fueled his desire to go to America, again to photograph stars. When he returned to France in 1949, he found himself involved in the great adventure of Paris-Match, making its first color cover with a photo of Winston Churchill.
At Monaco, you can discover several portraits of personalities that he captured in exceptional moments, like a photo of Pope Pius XII in 1952. At the end of a semi-private audience, he had the audacity to express his dissatisfaction to the Holy Father regarding his work as a journalist-photographer, the photographs being reserved for the official Vatican photographer. Asked (yes, I made that pun) to leave the premises immediately by the priest in charge of the press and the Cardinal, he was caught before the exit by another priest who informed him that Pius XII was waiting for him on his private terrace. He managed to take unique photos that earned (and probably still earn today) the resentment of the Vatican’s official photographer. It’s also in Rome that his destiny as a designer would reveal itself, again by chance… His then-wife Elsa Martinelli, a model and actress, was working there, and so was he for Paris-Match. While she was at her hairdresser around Piazza di Spagna, he had the idea to look for an apartment in that area. “Mission impossible, it would take a miracle to find one,” he was told, but by insisting at the agency, they showed him a disused space on the second floor without any amenities, but he fell in love with it immediately.
In less than an hour, the lease was signed, and he hired a group of local artisans to make the former workshop livable. As he didn’t like the then-fashionable Scandinavian furniture at all, he designed all his own, creating a very chic apartment that dazzled and completely seduced his movie star friends. Everyone wanted the same style at home, and his career as a designer was launched. The success was such that his team of eight employees grew to one hundred and fifty. His furniture was all the rage among the jet-set, and all was well, but he decided to sell his company in 1978, after the economic downfall of Cinecitta studios and problems with terrorism. He returned to Paris and to his first passion, photography. His furniture is sometimes re-edited in very small series and comes with a certificate of authenticity. You can find it in a few places (1), and you will be able to see a sample at this Monégasque exhibition.
With his past, his photographic résumé, his address book, and his friendships formed since then, he still collaborates with Match and continues to capture the personalities from all fields but mainly fashion, showbiz, and cinema—including a brief but highly noted appearance as a “godfather” in the movie “Hoffa” alongside Danny DeVito and Jack Nicholson!
The exhibition on Willy Rizzo follows the trend of the spring exhibitions dedicated to renowned photographers at the Grande Verrière of Grimaldi but here you will also experience that of a designer like no other. Don’t miss out on your enjoyment or your thirst for discovery because it’s free.
Willy Rizzo “Photographer and Designer” until April 9
Grande Verrière of the Grimaldi Forum
10 avenue Princesse Grace – 98000 Monaco
Hours: Every day from 12 PM to 7 PM
(1) Mallet Galleries in London and New York (furniture and photos), Paul Smith in London (furniture and photos), Polka Gallery and Agathe Gaillard Gallery in Paris, and Stanley & Wise Gallery in New York (photos). Opera Gallery in Monaco (furniture).
