From November 21, 2026, to May 2, 2027, Palazzo Pigorini in Parma will host the exhibition Marilyn Monroe. Fragments.
One hundred years after her birth, Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most iconic and fascinating figures of the 20th century. Her face transcends generations and the boundaries of cinema, constantly renewing itself within the collective imagination—an enduring icon that has withstood the test of time and the shifts in contemporary culture.
The exhibition offers a journey through celebrated photographs that immortalized the American star, revealing her complexity beyond her public persona. On display are works by major figures in international photography—including Inge Morath, Philippe Halsman, Elliott Erwitt, Bruce Davidson, Eve Arnold, Dennis Stock, Erich Hartmann, Ernst Haas, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Cornell Capa—that weave a narrative composed of fragments, fleeting moments, and various interpretations. Each photographer presents a different Marilyn, revealing that her image was never merely the result of external construction; rather, it was also the product of her own conscious ability to interpret herself, reinvent herself, and actively participate in the creation of her own myth.
The project engages in a dialogue with the exhibition LEI. Portraits of Women, from Van Gogh to Modigliani and Beyond, held at the Palazzo del Governatorato in Parma. While painting has captured the female figure across different eras and artistic sensibilities, photography found in Marilyn Monroe a privileged subject—one capable of transforming herself with every encounter with the camera lens.
