A major exhibition celebrating photographer Helmut Newton recently opened at the Marta Ortega Peréz (MOP) Foundation in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. The MOP Centre is in the port area of A Coruña and offers spectacular views of its surroundings. The original silos and buildings next to the modern exhibition spaces have been meticulously renovated. It is without question an unrivalled location. The “Helmut Newton – Fact & Fiction” exhibition, created in collaboration with the Helmut Newton Foundation and curated by Philippe Garner, Matthias Harder and Tim Jefferies, is the third exhibition (after Peter Lindbergh – Untold Stories and Steven Meisel – 1993, A Year in Photographs) presented by the MOP Foundation. A perfect time for a conversation with curators Philippe Garner, the legendary auctioneer, photography expert, vice-president of the Helmut Newton Foundation and photographer, and Dr Matthias Harder, director and curator of the Helmut Newton Foundation about this magnificent exhibition and photography in all its facets. Exhibition runs until 1 May 2024 @themopfoundation - A Coruña, Galicia, Spain

Interview Philippe Garner by Mart Engelen, A Coruña 2023

Mart Engelen: What makes the “Helmut Newton – Facts & Fiction” exhibition different from earlier Helmut Newton exhibitions?

Philippe Garner: We have sought to build an exhibition that would convey the range of Helmut’s picture-making and give a powerful sense of his unique and provocative perspective. But we did not want to overwhelm our public with too many pictures. This is not a retrospective. It is tightly edited, with changes of pace and scale that should keep the visitor engaged. We decided to honour Helmut and our hosts with an exhibition restricted exclusively to original prints made to Helmut’s instruction; not something we would normally envisage for an exhibition beyond the Berlin Foundation. Audio-visual elements add a further dimension to the visitor experience. The positive feedback already received reassures us that we have generated a memorable exhibition.

ME: This show is curated by Matthias, Tim and you. How did this come about? And what role did each of you have?

PG: The request from the MOP foundation came through Tim, who already knew the people involved. Tim has a long history of commitment to Newton’s work and is respected for the high standard of his gallery displays. It made sense to enlist his talents as a co-curator. The three of us worked well together, each to his particular strengths, to develop the best ideas possible. Challenging one another in a constructive spirit proved a dynamic and productive process. I christened our trio ‘The Three Musketeers’. It becomes impossible to define separately our individual roles.

ME: You have known Helmut for several decades. When did you meet him for the first time? And please tell me more about that first encounter.

PG: I first met Helmut and June in April 1975. This was in Paris, at the time of his first solo exhibition. I had been captivated by his work since the late 1960s. I was keen to see the exhibition and to meet the man behind the pictures. The appointment was arranged by a mutual acquaintance. Helmut was already well-respected in the fashion community but was not yet well known beyond. I realise more clearly now that he was intrigued at that point in his career by the idea of a young specialist in the history of photography from London showing such a focused interest in his work. We got on well and that first encounter, with Helmut and June, became the start of a lifelong friendship.

ME: Concurrently with this extraordinary show in A Coruña, there is also a beautiful retrospective of the photography of June Newton (Helmut’s wife), aka Alice Springs, running at the Helmut Newton Foundation in Berlin. What role did June play in Helmut’s life?

PG: June played an essential role in Helmut’s life and career. She recognised the exceptional scale of his talent and early on made the difficult decision to sacrifice her own career as an actress to give her time and full support to his path to success. She encouraged him, became at once his sharpest critic and greatest champion, and was fiercely protective of him, ever more so as his celebrity attracted every kind of attention.

ME: What I personally love about Helmut’s work is that it has so many interesting layers. Of course there is his fashion photography but his portraits, such as the ones he made of Jean Marie Le Pen, are fabulous and really powerful. And the landscapes in this exhibition, which I just have seen for the first time, are extraordinary. Can you tell me more about how he could switch from one discipline in photography to another while keeping this “Helmut Newton touch”? … read more

Interview Matthias Harder by Mart Engelen, A Coruña 2023

Mart Engelen: We are here at the opening of the “Helmut Newton – Fact & Fiction” exhibition at the MOP Foundation of Marta Ortega Peréz in A Coruña in Galicia. Tell me something more about the title: Fact & Fiction.

Matthias Harder: As we all know it’s a kind of in-between situation. I mean Helmut was inspired by reality, he was observing everything he lived in, interior and exterior. And then he created something new out of that. The idea between the reality and what he was making of it: this was the result, let’s say. You know, you see always something which is going back to reality but on the other hand you see something which goes in the direction of fiction.

ME: Ok, because, as we know, he always took inspiration from newspapers, crime reports, etc. and then he used that.

MH: Indeed.

ME: You have three curators for this show. Why?

MH: It’s clear that I, as a director of the foundation, am involved. But we have Philippe Garner who wrote the first text on one of Helmut’s books 45 years ago and then we have Tim Jefferies, asked by Marta. We have three different angles to curating a show. It was super cool to work with both of them. We were in Berlin selecting the works and they are hanging here now. Now we are here just with Philippe doing the tours for the journalists but before that I was here with Tim creating and installing the show. We were a real team. I mean, doing the selection at the very beginning; that’s already one-and-a-half years ago. We discussed every single picture. I think it’s a kind of a cool selection. Finally, going back, it was just about lifetime friends. This was our idea. The most valuable, precious work. We have about 130 images in this show and it’s just beautiful. Every picture is individually lit by these incredible lights. It’s completely different from the situation in Berlin or Rome or wherever.

ME: It’s really a unique and strong presentation.

MH: Yeah, it’s one of a kind.

ME: You have done quite a few shows recently. What sets this one apart from the others for you personally?

MH: As far as we decided on just the lifetime prints, we had to stick to that idea. Not all motives are available, let’s say. We have found a nice selection to take people on a journey into Helmut’s life. Starting in the 1960s in Paris as he created his own style, then going on to the 1970s and the incredible “Big Nudes” series (which is a unique version, a little more than life-size). Then we are in the 1980s and around the corner from both sides, then the beautiful prints which he did in the 1990s for the de Pury & Luxembourg Gallery in Zürich. Everything is set, you know. It’s a kind of chronological way through the whole story. All the three genres—nude photography, fashion photography, portrait photography—and some others: landscapes and still-lifes and so on. It’s a journey through his life.

ME: I think it’s a beautiful homage to June and Helmut because first there is June’s show (Alice Springs, Retrospective) in Berlin and very soon after we now have this wonderful show of Helmut. I have also discovered these amazing polaroids in this show; where do they come from?…read more