Man Ray. Forms of Light: An Interview with the Curators

Who was Man Ray? Curators Pierre-Yves Butzbach and Robert Rocca say there is no definitive answer to this question. We spoke with them on the occasion of the opening of the exhibition Man Ray. Forme di luce, on view at Palazzo Reale, Milan, until January 11, 2026.

The exhibition, organized by the Municipality of Milan, Palazzo Reale, and Silvana Editoriale, celebrates one of the most influential figures in 20th-century art. Photographer, director, and experimenter, Man Ray combined irony, elegance, and provocation in images that still surprise today with their contemporaneity.

The catalog "Man Ray. Forme di luce," published by Silvana Editoriale, accompanies the exhibition with essays and extensive illustrations that explore the central themes of his research and the creative freedom that permeates his entire oeuvre. We discussed all this with the curators in an interview we conducted as part of the exhibition.