Robert Mapplethorpe

The late American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe regarded his medium as a flawless tool for capturing the chaos of his era and bringing order to it. The countless images he shot throughout his distinguished career made him one of the leading photographers of the 20^th century: his subjects included celebrities like Andy Warhol and Patti Smith, with whom he had an unconventional lifelong relationship that was somewhere between friendship and romance. In its second show dedicated to Mapplethorpe, Galeri Nev focuses on the artist’s lesser-known works instead of the S&M photographs, Polaroids and self-portraits we’ve come to associate with him. Curated by Serra Yentürk, the selection includes photographs that reflect a different sort of discipline, with their meticulously planned subject matter giving them a sculptural, painting-like quality.