The exhibition Robert Mapplethorpe. Le forme del desiderio comes to Milan with a broad and previously unseen selection of the most iconic, powerful, and unconventional works by the American photographer, one of the most original, refined, and controversial artists of the 20th century.

The exhibition will be held in the rooms of the Royal Palace from January 29 to May 17, 2026 and is part of the cultural program of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

The retrospective, curated by Denis Curti, is the second part of a larger trilogy , which began in Venice at Le Stanze della Fotografia and will continue in Rome. Each event explores a path of study and research aimed at exploring a different aspect of Mapplethorpe's work.

In Milan, the curator takes the public on a journey into the photographer's aesthetic research , among his sensual nudes that stand out for their formal perfection, a Greek Olympic mimesis, in which muscles and physical tension stand out.

The exhibition is accompanied by the podcast Mapplethorpe Unframed, written and hosted by Nicolas Ballario, available from October 21st on Spotify, Apple Music and other major platforms, and the catalogue published by Marsilio Arte, which explores the vast production and evolution of Mapplethorpe's artistic language through 257 works.