🟢The Power of Images: Oliviero Toscani — The Pioneer of Shockvertising
Extended until January 5, 2025, the 'Oliviero Toscani' exhibition at the Museum fĂĽr Gestaltung in Zurich is worth visiting. Maybe his name initially doesn't ring any bells, but you have certainly seen his ads campaigns for the clothing brand Benetton. Oliviero Toscani is an Italian photographer with a striking career, he was the author of the most emblematic and controversial campaigns for Benetton, making a lasting impression for over two decades, from the 1980s to the early 2000s.
With his provocative spirit, Oliviero Toscani forces us to question our idea of ​​"normality". What is the correct behavior when confronted with illness, poverty, or the death penalty? These are the questions that resonate with us as we leave the museum.
Designed in collaboration with the museum's director, Christian Brändle, and the artist himself, this retrospective traces Toscani's career, from his beginnings in the Zurich School of Applied Arts (ZHdK) – with which the museum collaborates – to his recent works, including the scandals that have shaped his career.
Throughout his collaboration with Benetton, Oliviero Toscani pioneered a technique known as "shockvertising": by using startling, graphic images, the brand generated buzz and captured public attention. Toscani was frequently accused of exploiting others' suffering "just to sell clothes." However, the photographer defended his approach, asserting that he used the advertising platform to spotlight pressing social issues. By placing these provocative images in an unexpected commercial context, he argued, the impact was even greater than if they appeared in a newspaper—amplifying their effect and challenging viewers to confront uncomfortable realities.
The most controversial campaign—and the one that ultimately ended his long partnership with the brand—involved photographs and interviews with death row inmates in a Missouri prison (United States)*. This campaign sparked outrage across the U.S., leading to a significant decline in Benetton’s business in the country.
Another striking image displayed in the third room of the exhibition is the nude photograph of Isabelle Caro, a French model suffering from anorexia. During the Fashion Week of 2007, this powerful image was featured throughout billboards in Milan, pedestrians were confronted with a striking message about the fashion industry’s oppressive beauty standards. The campaign not only shocked the public but also brought much-needed attention to anorexia, a disorder that, at the time, affected over 2 million people in Italy**.
In addition to staging various important advertising campaigns carried out during his life, the exhibition includes a 50-minute documentary on Toscani, allowing the visitor to better understand his artistic intention.
The exhibition should have ended this summer but has been extended until January 5, 2025.
* The death penalty is still applicable in Missouri as well as in 13 other states.
**La Stampa, "Toscani shock contro l'anoressia", 2.09.2007
Photos:
Concept: Oliviero Toscani, Photograph: Therese Frare / Colorization by Ann Rhoney. “AIDS – David Kirby” S/S 1992, United Colors of Benetton United Colors of Benetton.
Oliviero Toscani “Priest and nun”, F/W 1991, United Colors of Benetton United Colors of Benetton.
Oliviero Toscani “Breastfeeding”, F/W 1989, United Colors of Benetton United Colors of Benetton.
Oliviero Toscani “No-Anoressia”, Fashion Week Milano 2007, for Nolita in La Repubblica
