From girl next door to sex-symbol, Galerie Joseph retraces the destiny of Marilyn Monroe through an unusual mechanism present all summer long in the Marais. Beyond the wide array of photos and documents, this eventful exhibition is also and mostly an occasion to discover an often overlooked aspect of the Hollywood icon. Indeed, blondes have more fun!
A very unusual photo album
With 200 photographs of the star, amongst which some never seen before, showcased on 1,000 m², Galerie Joseph features quite a show. Ultimate feat, gathering on the same walls the works of four major photographers rarely presented together: Sam Shaw, Milton H. Greene, André de Dienes and Bert Stern.
All of them immortalised Marilyn, born Norma Jeane, during different periods in her life and had close ties with their model. Result, incredible archive images, large formats for the most part, sometimes quite intimate, from her early childhood to the famous last session a few days before her death, along with juicy anecdotes. Did you know that the cult scene of the subway grate filmed for The 7 Year Itch led to her divorce with baseball champion Joe DiMaggio ?
Here, one discovers an intelligent, sensitive and complex women, who (over)plays her sex-appeal while remaining super-fragile.
An exceptional immersive course
The show continues a few numbers higher with Update Marilyn, an extension conceived like an abyme of reality, where the star from the fifties appears in our contemporary environment.
A super realistic projection, that includes photo-montages, sound creations, a digital installation and even a stage play (representations in September). High point of the experience, slipping in the shoes of the actress to replay the mythical subway scene. Poo poo pee doo.
Divine Marilyn, until the 22nd of September 2019. Full rate €12.
Also check out the Jackie Kennedy exhibition and the Banksy show.
