Johnny Moncada Archive
Conference
Rome, 22 May 2019
Reflection of Georgia
A long History of Culture and Fashion
Palazzo del Rettorato
Sapienza Univerisità di Roma
On Wednesday 22 May, the International Conference entitled Reflection of Georgia. A long History of Culture and Fashion took place at Palazzo del Rettorato, promoted by Sapienza University of Rome, Fondazione Roma Sapienza, PhD in History of Europe and Georgia Institute of Foreign Affairs "Young Ambassador".
Scholars retrace the history of Georgia remembering traditions, artistic movements, material civilization, national culture.
In the program of the meetings, the conference of Cornelia Bujin entitled "Irene Galitzine. From Georgia to International Fashion ”shows some photos of Johnny Moncada.
Exhibition
Moscow 12 April 2018 - 27 May 2018
Johnny Moncada. Zero Gravity
XII International Month of Photography in Moscow
Moscow Manege
MAMM - Multimedia Art Museum Moscow
Impressed by the first human spaceflight, Johnny Moncada made a series of photographs dedicated to Yuri Gagarin in 1961. This was a joint project with the artist Gastone Novelli, who created remarkable graphic paintings whose space themes served as backgrounds for the photos. Another source of inspiration for Johnny Moncada was Italian futurist architecture, such as Pier Luigi Nervi’s Palazzo dello Sport.
From 1962 to 1969, Johnny Moncada developed the image of the ‘futurist woman’, placing his models in avant-garde cosmic interiors that matched the work of the most fashionable stylists of the day thanks to the abundance of plastic, mirrors, aluminium, plexiglas, and artistically treated materials. He often shot models from below, which made them seem to float in the air or in a zero-gravity state.
Johnny Moncada’s innovative ideas, embodied by the models of the great designer André Courrèges, got a hold on life and became international famous thanks to Stanley Kubrick’s movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Invitation
Selected Press
Exhibition
Tampere 15 June 2017 - 15 October 2017
Fantastica!
Valentino Dresses from Private Collections
Museo Milavida, Tampere, Finland
Fantastica! – Valentino Dresses from Private Collections is a celebration of high fashion. Showcased are Valentino fashions on loan from private collections, alongside the artful handicraft and unique know-how behind them. The fame of Valentino’s fashion house has been made possible by Italian craftspeople. The skills of these weavers, dressmakers, and embroidery experts are beyond compare, and the exhibition shines a spotlight especially on Pino Grasso’s incredible works of embroidery.
In addition, the exhibition features Johnny Moncada’s photographs of Valentino’s dresses from the 1960s. They are a peerless mix of art and fashion that captures the spirit of the time with elegance and style.
Invitation
Selected Press
Exhibition
Fort Lauderdale 6 February 2016 - 19 June 2016
Bellissima
Italy and High Fashion
1945-1968
curated by Maria Luisa Frisa, Anna Mattirolo, Stefano Tonchi
NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, Florida
This exhibition features more than 230 vintage high fashion garments, accessories and exquisite jewels by legendary names in Italian design alongside paintings, films and photos that recreate the alluring atmosphere of Italian high fashion during the remarkable period of creativity in postwar Italy through 1968.
The exhibition will include some of the more "masterpieces" of haute couture from 1945 to 1968, from prestigious public and private collections. Among the designers: Maria Antonelli, Renato Balestra, Delia Biagiotti, Biki, Carosa, Roberto Capucci, Gigliola Curiel, Enzo Fabiani, Fendi, Forquet, Irene Galitzine, Fernanda Gattinoni, Pino Lancetti, Germana Marucelli, Emilio Pucci, Fausto Sarli, Mila Schön, Emilio Schuberth, Simonetta, Sorelle Fontana, Valentino, Jole Veneziani. The exhibition will present works of great fashion photographers of those years, as Federico Garolla, Johnny Moncada and Ugo Mulas.
Invitation
Selected Press
Exhibition
curated by Maria Luisa Frisa, Anna Mattirolo, Stefano Tonchi
Monza 24 September 2015 - 30 September 2016
Bellissima
L'Italia dell'Alta Moda
1945-1968
Villa Reale di Monza
The exhibition, inaugurated last year in Rome at the MAXXI Museum, from September 24 will be at the Villa Reale in Monza in a renewed and with a totally new section dedicated to the tissues. ‘Bellissima’ open to the public during the period of the Expo 2015 Fashion Week in September. The exhibition will include some of the more "masterpieces" of haute couture from 1945 to 1968, from prestigious public and private collections. Among the designers: Maria Antonelli, Renato Balestra, Delia Biagiotti, Biki, Carosa, Roberto Capucci, Gigliola Curiel, Enzo Fabiani, Fendi, Forquet, Irene Galitzine, Fernanda Gattinoni, Pino Lancetti, Germana Marucelli, Emilio Pucci, Fausto Sarli, Mila Schön, Emilio Schuberth, Simonetta, Sorelle Fontana, Valentino, Jole Veneziani. The exhibition will present works of great fashion photographers of those years, as Federico Garolla, Johnny Moncada and Ugo Mulas.
Invitation
Selected Press
'Corriere della Sera', 18 October 2015
Exhibition
London 14 September 2015 - 31 October 2015
Nico in Rome
1958-1960
Pre Pop
with Johnny Moncada and Federico Fellini
art-video curated by Valentina Moncada and Maria Chiara Salmeri
Italian Cultural Institute, London
The Italian Cultural Institute celebrates the Tate Modern’s major exhibition The World Goes Pop with a homage to the cultural icons of the time in Italy, from artist Sergio Lombardo (one of the Italian artists featured in the Tate’s exhibition, alongside Mario Schifano and Italian-Brazilian Anna Maria Maiolino), to model Nico with fashion photographer Johnny Moncada. One night three events:
Talk: The Pop Years in Italy. Sergio Lombardo, Flavia Frigeri (co-curator of the Tate’s exhibition) and Walter Guadagnini (photographer and curator of the Pop Art! exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome in 2007) in conversation.
Exhibition: Gesti Tipici. On display at the Institute, eight of Lombardo’s famous enamels on paper portraying well-known people of the day including McNamara, De Gaulle, Kennedy, Rockefeller and Khrushchev.
Screening: Nico in Rome 1958 – 1960. Pre POP with Johnny Moncada and Federico Fellini. Video curated by Valentina Moncada and Maria Chiara Salmeri with previously unseen material from the Archivio Johnny Moncada. Christa Päffgen, alias Nico, was photographed extensively by Moncada during her Roman years, in the late50s. She even secured a cameo in La Dolce Vita by Federico Fellini, friend and neighbour of the photographer, prior to moving to New York, meeting Andy Warhol and joining the Velvet Underground.
Free admission, BOOK ONLINE
Art-video by Valentina Moncada and Maria Chiara Salmeri
Invitation
Selected Press
Exhibition
Rome 27 November 2014 - 11 January 2015
From Vera to Veruschka
The Unseen Photographs by Johnny Moncada
curated by Valentina Moncada
MACRO_Museo d'Arte Contemporanea di Roma
After the great success at Somerset House in London, the exhibition “From Vera to Veruschka. The Unseen Photographs by Johnny Moncada” will present for the first time to the Italian audience, in the prestigious location of Museo d’arte contemporanea MACRO di Roma, a new selection of 47 unseen photographs and portraits by the fashion photographer Johnny Moncada, realized between 1963 and 1964, in which the protagonist is the young German model Vera von Lehndorff-Steinort, who will become the legendary Veruschka, wearing high fashion Italian garments, like Antonelli, Biki, de Barentzen, Sorelle Fontana, Forquet, Irene Galitzine, Lancetti, Tricò e Valentino. The exhibition will be presented in “PORTRAIT” within the XIII Edition of FOTOGRAFIA Festival Internazionale di Roma, curated by Marco Delogu.
The homonymous book is published by Rizzoli International, with the Art Direction of Antonio Monfreda and texts by Franca Sozzani, Hamish Bowles, Veruschka, Massimo di Forti, Antonio Monfreda and Valentina Moncada.
On this occasion, the art-video by Chiara e Giorgio Horn (for thevisualclinic.com) will be shown for the first time in Italy, presenting an artistic editing of the photographs of Johnny Moncada.
At the same time, Rome will dedicate two exhibitions to the history of Italian fashion, at MACRO and at MAXXI – Museo nazionale delle Arti del XXI secolo with “Bellissima”, curated by Maria Luisa Frisa, Anna Mattirolo and Stefano Tonchi who will included some Johnny Moncada’s photographs in the exhibition catalogue.
Invitation
Bookstore of Auditorium - Parco della Musica, Rome
Selected Press
'Ville e Giardini', December 2014
'Il Messaggero', 1 December 2014
 1 |
|---|
 2 |
'Trova Roma', 27 November 2014
Conference
Rome, 25 November 2014
From Vera to Veruschka
The Unseen Photographs by Johnny Moncada
LUISS – Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali “Guido Carli” Roma
Curated by Cesare Cunaccia
Speech by Valentina Moncada on exhibition opened at the MACRO in Rome "From Vera to Veruschka. The Unseen Photographs by Johnny Moncada ".
Valentina Moncada is lecturer of the conference organized within the LUISS MASTER OF FASHION. Her speech part by the work done on the archive of her father, Johnny Moncada, fashion photographer of the '50s -' 70s, especially focusing on the discovery of unpublished shots that immortalize the young German model Vera von Lendorff-Steinort, soon known as the legendary Veruschka also by a broad overview on the Italian fashion and the consecration of the Made in Italy in the world.
Exhibition
Rome 13 July - 30 September 2014
Made in Italy. Una visione modernsita
Johnny Moncada, Gastone Novelli, Achille Perilli
Fotografia - Moda - Arte - Design
1956 - 1965 Roma
curated by Valentina Moncada
in collaboration with Ludovico Pratesi
Sala dei Sette Colli, Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia
The 25th edition of AltaRomAltaModa will kick-off with the exhibition “Made in Italy. Una visione modernista. Johnny Moncada - Gastone Novelli - Achille Perilli”, curated by Valentina Moncada, in collaboration with Ludovico Pratesi. The exhibition will also include a presentation of the eponymous book, supported by a grant from The Fondazione Nando Peretti, and is scheduled to be held at the rooms of the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia in Rome.
Only now, fifty years after the founding of the Archivio Johnny Moncada, have photos documenting the extraordinary collaboration between fashion photographer Johnny Moncada and artists Gastone Novelli and Achille Perilli, who created the catalogues of the 1956-1965 fashion collections of Luisa Spagnoli, come to light.
For the first time, an historic reconstruction of the creative dynamics that took place in the photographic stuido, will be unveiled. A selection of 60 photographs, chosen from among the 600, will be presented alongside several works created between 1956 and 1965 by the artists Novelli and Perilli, creating a dialogue between the photographs, the backdrops, the paintings and the drawings. Additionally, several vintage garments by Luisa Spagnoli, taken from the Collection by Enrico Quinto and Paolo Tinarelli, will also be on display. As part of the exhibition, visitors will be treated to the screening of a “never-seen-before” artistic video curated by Valentina Moncada and Maria Chiara Salmeri (below), to recreate the historical context of the birth of Made in Italy.
The exhibition and book have been realized in collaboration with the Archivio Johnny Moncada, the Archivio Gastone Novelli and artist Achille Perilli.
Art-video by Valentina Moncada and Maria Chiara Salmeri
AltaRoma invitation - 12 July 2014
Selected Press
'Vanity Fair', 3 September 2014
Radio 3, 17 July 2014
'La Repubblica', 12 July 2014
'Corriere della Sera', 11 July 2014
'Il Messaggero', 11 July 2014
'Trova Roma', 10 July 2014
'L'Espresso', 10 July 2014
 1 |
|---|
 2 |
 3 |
Publication
12 July 2014
Made in Italy. Una visione modernsita
Johnny Moncada, Gastone Novelli, Achille Perilli
Fotografia - Moda - Arte - Design
1956 - 1965 Roma
Edited by Silvana Editoriale, curated by Valentina Moncada, Art Direction by Valentina Moncada and Maria Chiara Salmeri, Contribution by Maria Silvia Venturini Fendi, Alfonsina Russo Tagliente, Paola Bonani, Ludovico Pratesi and Valentina Moncada, realized with the support of the Nando Peretti Foundation.
At Johnny Moncada’s studio, located in the historic courtyard of Via Margutta 54, where the atelier of Gastone Novelli was also headquartered, Luisa Spagnoli, a stylist and collector of contemporary art, had the idea of giving life to a one-of-a-kind partnership between art and fashion. Her idea was to create a visionary, modernist context - at that time, considered totally innovative and revolutionary - featuring a female universe in which the modern woman was surrounded by the figures, images and graphics of the two artists who together produced the settings and backgrounds for the photo shoots, featuring, among other things, design objects like the “Lounge chair” by Luciano Grassi, Sergio Conti and Marisa Forlani, and lamps inspired by the design of Bruno Munari.
The first phase of this collaboration took place in the studio with the ad hoc creation of backgrounds painted directly on rolls of white paper, against which famous models of that period, including Joan Whelan (Johnny Moncada’s wife), Iris Bianchi and Anna Filippini, mainly showcased the prêt-à-porter garments and angora knitwear that defined the casual, elegant style of the renowned couture house. A second phase, involved the artists in the creation of the graphic layout of the catalogues themselves, featuring a totally avant-garde design.
This incredible collaboration, a one-of-a-kind initiative at that time, was constantly renewed over the space of the next nine years, serving as proof not only of the evolution of Italian fashion, but also of the works of these artists and the cultural movements involving Rome, paving the way for international avant-garde currents and the activity of important galleries present in the capital during those years.
These photographs serve as concrete proof of the relationship between art and fashion that came into being at the artists’ studios in Via Margutta thanks to the friendship that Johnny Moncada forged with the artists Novelli and Perilli and Luisa Spagnoli, grandaughter of the founder who, at that time, found an innovative way of fusing fashion, art and photography, resulting in the sensational discovery of these photographs, serving as a unique, innovative contribution to the history of Italian fashion.
The book have been realized in collaboration with the Archivio Johnny Moncada, the Archivio Gastone Novelli and artist Achille Perilli.
The book is realized with the generous support of The Nando Peretti Foundation.
Bookstore of MAXXI - Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI secolo, Rome
Bookstore of MACRO - Museo d'Arte Contemporanea di Roma, Rome
Exhibition
London 2 April - 1 June 2014
From Vera to Veruschka
The Unseen Photographs by Johnny Moncada
curated by Valentina Moncada and Antonio Monfreda
Courtyard Rooms, Somerset House
The exhibition “From Vera to Veruschka. The Unseen Photographs by Johnny Moncada” will present for the first time to the large audience, in the prestigious location of Somerset House, London, an extraordinary selection of 40 unseen photographs by the fashion photographer Johnny Moncada, realized between 1963 and 1964, in which the protagonist is the young German model Vera von Lehndorff-Steinort, who will become the legendary Veruschka. On this occasion, the art-video by Chiara e Giorgio Horn (for thevisualclinic.com) will be shown for the first time, presenting an artistic editing of the photographs of Johnny Moncada (preview below). We are also launching the book published by Rizzoli International. A special thank goes to The Nando Peretti Foundation, for underwriting the restoration and cataloging of Johnny Moncada's Archive. At the same time, London will dedicate two exhibitions to the history of Italian fashion, at Somerset House and at the Victoria & Albert Museum with “The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945 – 2014”.
Art-video by Chiara and Giorgio Horn (for the visualclinic.com)
Veruschka by Johnny Moncada and Veruschka by Richard Avedon, Somerset House Bookshop, London
The Harrods Bookshop, London
Selected Press
'Corriere della Sera', 26 April 2014
'Il Messaggero', 14 April 2014
Publication
Edited by Rizzoli International, Photographs by Johnny Moncada, Art Direction by Antonio Monfreda, Contribution by Veruschka, Hamish Bowles, Franca Sozzani, Antonio Monfreda, Massimo di Forti and Valentina Moncada
Capturing the romance and beauty of la dolce vita, this volume features intimate and rare moments of Veruschka, the iconic face of 60's glamour, from the forgotten and unpublished photographic archive of Johnny Moncada. When fashion photographer Johnny Moncada unlocked a trunk he had left sealed for forty years, he and his daughter discovered ten thousand of his unpublished negatives. They revealed the world of 60's Italian fashion in all its languid glamour, personified by the iconic Veruschka. In three thousand images, Moncada captured the German-born model in both beautifully staged and informal poses. A selection of these photographs is presented in this lavish volume. They were taken over the course of a year in Rome, including seaside shoots in Capri, Sardinia, and other locales of la dolce vita. While serving as an invaluable source of inspiration to aficionados of 60's style, Moncada's work also presents a rare glimpse of a young woman, known to friends as Vera, transforming in front of the camera into the image of perfection that we know as Veruschka.
Veruschka is the legendary German model, actress, and artist. She appeared in Antonioni's Blow Up. Johnny Moncada (1928-2011) worked with the most important models of his time and was published in “Linea Italiana”, “Harper's Bazaar”, and in others fashion magazines. Antonio Monfreda is a world-renowned art director based in Rome. Hamish Bowles is the European editor-at-large for Vogue and is recognized as one of the most respected authorities on the worlds of fashion and design. Franca Sozzani is a journalist and the editor-in-chief of "Vogue Italia" since 1988, and she is considered to be one of five most influential people in the fashion industry worldwide. Massimo di Forti is an Italian journalist who writes about art and culture. Valentina Moncada, Johnny Moncada's daughter, is a respected author and contemporary art curator and dealer based in Rome.
March 2014
From Vera to Veruschka
The Unseen Photographs by Johnny Moncada
Bookstore of Gucci Museum, Florence
Selected Press
'Vogue Portugal', March 2015
'Il Sole 24 Ore', 3 August 2014
'O Globo', 1 April 2014
'Vogue Russia', April 2014
'Vogue France', April 2014
 1 |
|---|
 2 |
'L'Officiel Turkey', April 2014
'Financial Times', 15/16 March 2014
'Vogue Italia', March 2014
 pag. 93 |
|---|
 pag. 94 |
 pag. 95 |
 pag. 96 |
Exhibition
April 2012
Nello studio Johnny Moncada
curated by Valentina Moncada
Galleria Valentina Moncada - Rome
The Valentina Moncada Gallery inaugurated the first retrospective dedicated to Johnny Moncada. The exhibition Nello studio Johnny Moncada is part of the Festival delle Arti via Margutta, l'arte, il luogo, il mistero svelato, an important event with the Associazione Internazionale di via Margutta and the Comune di Roma. Born from the father daughter relationship, the trunks containing the negatives were opened after fifty years, and the exhibition presents for the first time circa 50 photos selected amongst thousands from the Johnny Moncada archive. After much archival and conservation work on the negatives, photos were printed for the first time from photo shoots for "Linea Italiana" 1967-68. This exhibition tells the story of an incredible fashion adventure in the same building at via Margutta 54 where the studio of Johnny Moncada was once located. Exhibited are famous models, such as Veruschka, the Italian models Isa Stoppi and Mirella Petteni, the legendary Denise Sarrault, and his wife Joan Whelan. It witnesses the birth of the Made in Italy with clothes from Roccobarocco, Sorelle Fontana, De Barentzen, Schubert, and Renato Balestra.
Selected Press
'Ville e Giardini', June 2012
Selected Press
"Vogue Italia", March 2007
 1Vogue IT |
|---|
 2Vogue IT |
 3Vogue IT |
 4Vogue IT |
 5Vogue IT |
 6Vogue IT |
 7Vogue IT |
 8Vogue IT |