Chris Ofili brings story of Laure—the Black model painted by Manet—in from the margins at Turin exhibition
The UK artist is presenting new works inspired by muse Laure at the Pinacoteca Agnelli in Turin
UK artist Chris Ofili is giving Édouard Manet’s famous figure Laure a place in art history with a new show in Turin, Italy. Known as "Beyond the Collection," the exhibition runs from October 30th to April 4th, 2027 at the Pinacoteca Agnelli. Ofili presents a large painting, watercolor, and series of drawings inspired by Laure, questioning which figures have been omitted from art history.
Sarah Cosulich, director of the Pinacoteca Agnelli, observed that Manet’s original painting of Laure was originally named "La Négresse," which has been restored to its original title. Ofili's large-scale painting "Saint Laure (2026)" shifts Laure from the margins to the center, creating a desert landscape in place of Olympia’s body.
The exhibition also features Manet’s original painting of Laure, "Portrait of Laure (La Négresse)," which is now renamed. Ofili’s works draw on Italian and religious art, as well as the Italian movie "Io Capitano" (2023), about Senegalese cousins' journey to Italy. The exhibition also includes a retrospective of 20th-century Greek-Italian painter Alberto Savinio and a solo exhibition of Chris Ofili’s work by the Hayward Gallery in London next year.
Written by urgent.news from The Art Newspaper's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
